Producer: Peuli Bakshi
After questions swirled around Ishan Kishan’s prolonged absence from competitive cricket, he was spotted working out and practicing in Baroda.
Kishan had been training at the Kiran More Academy in Baroda, alongside the Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal, according to a report of Cricbuzz.
Kiran More confirmed Kishan's presence at his academy but could not provide further details as he was in Mumbai with the Mumbai Indians’ WPL side.
He has not played since November 2023 and showing little interest in competitive cricket after leaving the team set up in South Africa mid-December.
Kishan missed opportunities despite head coach Rahul Dravid's remarks on participation being necessary for national selection.
He is not a part of his home state, Jharkhand’s Ranji match against Haryana in Jamshedpur, that took place from February 9.
Discussions sparked that his absence might affect BCCI’s consideration for central contracts. Kishan holds a Grade C contract worth Rs 1 crore anually.
With KS Bharat not performing well in the recent Vizag Test, Kishan might have missed an opportunity to feature in the ongoing Test series vs England.
Previously when asked about Kishan’s chances of playing, head coach Rahul Dravid said, “I just don’t want to go on labouring about the Ishan Kishan point.”
Dravid expressed that Kishan needed to play cricket and return at his own pace, stating that the choice was his and that they were in touch with him.
Dravid also noted that Kishan had not started playing tournaments yet, indicating that he might not be ready for selection at the moment.
It is anticipated that the wicketkeeper-batter’s earliest return to cricket could be in 2024 IPL, scheduled for March-May.