NEWS OF ISHAN KISHAN

Kishan is currently honing his skills alongside the Pandya brothers at the Kiran More academy

Amid questions regarding Ishan Kishan’s commitment to competitive cricket due to his prolonged absence, the wicketkeeper-batsman has been spotted training diligently in Baroda.

He has been stationed at the Reliance Stadium in the city for the past couple of weeks, focusing on enhancing his skills.

However, there is no clear indication of when he plans to make a return to action.

Kishan has been utilizing the facilities at the Kiran More Academy in Baroda, where he is joined by the Pandya brothers, Hardik and Krunal.

Notably, Hardik Pandya, who captains the Mumbai Indians, shares the same IPL franchise as Kishan.

Confirming Kishan’s training stint, Kiran More acknowledged his presence at the academy but refrained from divulging further details as he is currently in Mumbai with the Mumbai Indians’ Women’s Premier League (WPL) team.

Since November last year, Kishan hasn’t participated in any matches and left the team setup in South Africa midway through December.

Despite suggestions from national coach Rahul Dravid to participate in competitive games to bolster his chances of national selection, Kishan has not shown any inclination towards it.

It has been confirmed that Kishan will not be featuring in Jharkhand’s Ranji game against Haryana in Jamshedpur starting from February 9.

Speculation arises whether his continued absence might affect the BCCI’s considerations for central contracts, given his current Grade C contract with an annual retainership of Rs 1 crore.

Coach Dravid commented on Kishan’s situation, emphasizing that while they are in touch with him, the decision to return to cricket lies solely with Kishan.

It’s evident that he won’t be available for selection until the IPL season from March to May.

The Indian team selection for the final three Tests against England is imminent, with indications suggesting that Virat Kohli won’t be part of the squad.

Kohli, who has been overseas due to a family emergency, has reportedly informed the BCCI of his unavailability for the upcoming Test series.