Ishan Kishan, a wicket-keeper batter, is likely to miss the first round of the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024 tournament. This tournament will kick off the Indian domestic season 2024-25.
The tournament is also important as multiple Indian Test team hopefuls have been named in four squads of the Duleep Trophy tournament. A performance in this tournament would have players a lot as India is slated to play 5 Tests at home with 2 against Bangladesh and 3 against New Zealand.
Kishan, who was nominated to Shreyas Iyer’s India D, is thought to have complained of a hamstring injury after playing two games for Jharkhand at the pre-season Buchi Babu Invitational in Tamil Nadu earlier this month, his first set of multi-day games in more than a year.
There is no cover yet, and KS Bharat is the only other wicketkeeper on India’s Development squad. They will begin their tournament against the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led India C on September 5 in Anantapur.
Sanju Samson likely to be named replacement for Ishan Kishan
Kishan had not yet joined the squad for the match. The decision to replace him is likely to be made based on the severity of Kishan’s injury.
It would also depend on the Indian team’s selection for the two-Test series against Bangladesh, but he may play in the later rounds of the six-match competition.
Sanju Samson, who was not named in any of the four teams announced by the selectors earlier, is likely to be included in Kishan’s place.
Last season, Kishan was benched by the national selectors for disciplinary reasons after missing a few Ranji Trophy games despite Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directives to the contrary. Kishan had been told that he would only be considered for national selection if he played for his state squad.
Kishan may have partially completed this qualification by competing in the Buchi Babu tournament. However, the red ball competition is not recognized as a national competition.
His inclusion in the Duleep Trophy mix may indicate that the selectors were easing their stern stance against him, and it is unclear how they will react to his last-minute withdrawal.