Ishan Kishan's absence from the Indian team during the Test series against England has stirred debate as he prioritised training over domestic cricket, as directed by the BCCI and India Head Coach Rahul Dravid.
Critics question his choice, but a recent report sheds light on the reasoning behind Kishan's mindset.
According to the Indian Express newspaper, Ishan Kishan was deeply affected by India's defeat in the ODI World Cup 2023 final.
Desiring an immediate break, he had to continue playing, as per the team management's instructions, until finding respite during the South Africa tour, allowing him the space to recover mentally.
The report quoted a source saying, 'He had never complained about it, but the ODI World Cup final loss in Ahmedabad, like the billions in our country, has left him shattered. He wanted the break right after the tournament, but was asked by the management to play, and he did it without asking any questions.'
Addressing Ishan's absence from the Ranji Trophy, the report dismissed accusations, stating that the cricketer values the tournament but is not rushing a return.
'Ishan has always given priority to the Ranji Trophy. In the 2022-23 season, despite constant travel with the Indian team, he played a couple of Ranji Trophy games, scoring a century against Kerala, earning a place in India's Test team. All these accusations are just rubbish.'
The Indian Express report anticipates Kishan's return to competitive cricket in the DY Patil T20 tournament, for which he will seek an NOC from the BCCI.
'He will be playing for the Reserve Bank of India. He wants to earn his spot in India's T20 World Cup squad with a good outing in the IPL,' a source revealed to the Indian Express.
'It is a long road, but the hunger to play cricket is back, and he wants to play in all three formats.'
