The cricket-loving populace has been consumed with curiosity and concern over the recent whereabouts of Ishan Kishan. Speculations and questions arose in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) team announcement for the imminent T20I series against Afghanistan, scheduled to kick off on January 11. The cricket community exhibited a mixed response, marked by the enthusiasm surrounding the comebacks of veteran players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, yet simultaneously marred by the conspicuous absence of Kishan, who was previously earmarked for one of the coveted top-three positions in India’s batting lineup.
The mystery of Ishan Kishan’s sudden disappearance becomes increasingly puzzling given his erstwhile status as an all-format contender for the Indian team. His impressive debut on the West Indies’ turf was a harbinger of a burgeoning career. He featured prominently in the opening duo of ODI World Cup matches and made his presence felt across 11 T20 Internationals. However, his last sight in blue on the field dates back to November 28, 2023, during a T20I clash with Australia.
The intrigue only deepened when Kishan was notably ‘rested’ and not selected for the ODI series in South Africa, and similarly excluded from a couple of T20 matches on the same tour. Jitesh Sharma, a fellow cricketer, was favored over him. Subsequently, matters took a turn for the enigmatic when Kishan withdrew from the Test squad in South Africa, with the BCCI citing personal reasons for his departure on December 17.
Whilst the rumor mills churned, associating Kishan’s hiatus with appearances on popular Indian television show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, hosted by iconic actor Amitabh Bachchan, sources accessed by Cricbuzz refuted those claims as the reason for his non-selection. Another theory proposed is Kishan’s supposed silence regarding his availability for team duties post-departure.
The BCCI and the selectors naturally reserve the authority to reach out to Kishan to inquire about his potential return, especially if he is on the radar for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Nevertheless, the board’s reticence in providing routine updates, coupled with the selection committee’s non-transparency during squad announcements, adds a layer of opacity and fuels rampant speculation.
Taking focus back on Kishan, his non-participation in the first round of the Ranji Trophy only intensified the conundrum, leaving even his own Jharkhand teammates out of the loop regarding his situation. What’s left is a cloud of uncertainty on whether Kishan will reveal his plans or availability for the second round of Ranji matches.
The queries loom large: Is Ishan Kishan still a part of the selectors’ blueprint for the T20 World Cup? If affirmative, his exclusion from the team for the Afghanistan series – purportedly the final international fixture before the global event – is perplexing. If negative, one must ponder the fairness of sidelining a promising talent who’s racked up two half-centuries in his last three T20I innings.
A formal discourse from the BCCI might mitigate the confusion and provide clarity, yet many eyes are now turning towards the Indian Premier League (IPL) to witness whether it could be the stage for Kishan’s comeback narrative. With Rishabh Pant’s return on the horizon, the clock is ticking inexorably for Kishan, and only time will tell if he will resume his stride or be perpetually overshadowed by the happenings in the world of cricket.
