No Ranji Trophy; Ishan Kishan is making a comeback in THIS tournament

Rajkot: Over the past few weeks, young Ishan Kishan has come under a lot of criticism from various quarters for not prioritizing the Ranji Trophy. Before the England series started, India coach Rahul Dravid categorically said that if one wants to return to the national team, the cricketer has to play a few Ranji matches to get used to the situations.

“I just don't want to keep worrying about the Ishan Kishan point. When he is ready, I didn't say he should play domestic cricket, I said when he is ready… he should play some cricket and come back. The choice is his. We don't force him to do anything. We are in contact with him.

“We know what it is. He hasn't started playing yet, right? At this point it's not something we would think about. He may not be ready yet. He decides when he wants to be ready.” It is now clear that the earliest Ishan can play is the IPL in March-May.

Despite Dravid's message, Kishan chose to continue missing Ranji matches for Jharkhand and now there are reports suggesting that he would be present in the upcoming season of the DY Patil tournament in Mumbai.

According to a BCCI official familiar with the decision, “Players cannot simply prioritize international cricket or the IPL. They must make themselves available for domestic cricket and fulfill their obligations towards their respective state teams.”

With KS Bharat not in the best of form with the gloves and the bat, and without Rishabh Pant around – Kishan would have been an automatic choice, but it seems he has rubbed BCCI the wrong side after losing midway in the South Africa tour because he wanted to spend time with his family.