Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is all set to return to the domestic circuit as he begins his journey to make a comeback to the Indian side. The southpaw fell out of the favour of the selectors after he decided to skip the Ranji Trophy earlier in the year. A BCCI central contract snub followed by meagre IPL performances and exclusion from T20 World Cup squad has marred his career trajectory.
Kishan will now commence his mission to attempt a nearly-impossible comeback for the Men in Blue. The keeper-batter has made himself available for Jharkhand in the Buchi Babu tournament – a day/night match tourney. Regardless, there are multiple roadblocks in Kishan’s India comeback
No place in India’s ODI and T20I side
After winning a T20 World Cup and getting a new coach, India seem to have found their perfect keepers for ODIs and T20Is. The return of Rishabh Pant always meant that he would be India’s first-choice keeper. To back this, he did an outstanding job with the gloves in the T20 WC, leaving everyone in awe of how a player who survived a horrific car crash in December 2022 could return to form in such quick manner.
So, Pant will be the India’s first-choice keeper in T20Is. The return of KL Rahul means Ishan Kishan’s hopes of securing a place in the ODI side is once again nearly impossible. With Pant benched for the IND vs SL ODI series, KL Rahul returned to his usual role behind the stumps – something that he did in the ODI World Cup as well. This means that both skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Gambhir have made up their mind that he would be their first-choice keeper in ODIs.
Not to forget, apart from KL Rahul and Pant, Sanju Samson is also in the fray, which makes Ishan the fourth-choice keeper. Samson has also been in the good books of the selectors, reaping rewards for his performances over the years by being a part of the T20 WC winning squad.
No Tests for Ishan Kishan!
Ishan Kishan’s ambitions, if any, of making a comeback in Tests is a far-fetched dream. Firstly, India’s Test side better off without Kishan and it was evident during the India vs England series earlier this year. While Pant was absent for the series as he was recovering from his injuries, Dhruv Jurel and KS Bharat did a fabulous job behind the wicket.
Now that Pant has returned, he is expected to be the side’s first-choice keeper in Tests as well. Dhruv Jurel is the second-choice at the moment while India have other backups as well. This leaves no room for Kishan in the India’s red-ball format team.
Batter Ishan Kishan’s uphill challenge in white ball comeback
Ishan Kishan’s stats naturally warrant for his inclusion in the white-ball squads. The swashbuckling batter has 933 runs and 796 runs in ODIs and T20Is respectively, along with a healthy strike rate. However, it is participation and form that matters, and that is something that the selectors have not gotten to see in the case of Kishan owing to his absence from international and domestic circuit.
Besides forn and stats, India’s white-ball teams already have a great batting depth that does not warrant for the sides to play with two keepers. Kishan faces a tough challenge in securing a spot in the squads, with competition in the form of Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag.
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