"He needs to..." - Rahul Dravid's strict message to Ishan Kishan to regain place in Team India

Ishan Kishan was not included in the first two Tests against England and the chances of his selection in the other three Tests are also looking thin given he has not played cricket since opting out of the Test series against South Africa due to personal reasons. Team India’s head coach Rahul Dravid has strictly mentioned that Ishan Kishan needs to start playing to come into consideration for selection.

The wicketkeeper-batter has missed the T20I series against Afghanistan and now is also missing out on crucial game time against England in the Test series. Ishan Kishan was the first-choice Wicketkeeper for India in Tests but after his absence from the South Africa tour and also from the domestic circuit, the Indian team is not considering him for selection. Ishan Kishan was asked to play domestic cricket after opting out of the Test series against South Africa.

However, the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) revealed that the wicketkeeper-batter has not contacted them to take part in Ranji Trophy matches. As of now, Jharkhand has played five matches in the Ranji Trophy and Ishan Kishan has not featured in any of them. The southpaw has played only two Test matches which were against West Indies in July 2023.

Rahul Dravid has said that he needs to start playing to be considered for selection in the national team. Dravid also revealed that the team management is in touch with him. Ishan Kishan opted out of the South Africa series stating mental fatigue after having a busy season with the Indian team. He was also frustrated because of the lack of game time as he was not given a chance in the playing XI during the T20I series against South Africa and was also a second-choice keeper in the series against South Africa as it was decided that KL Rahul will be keeping for India in that series.

Ishan Kishan needs to start playing to be considered for selection, we are in touch with him: India head coach Rahul Dravid

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 5, 2024

Fans Want Answers For KS Bharat Being Selected Over Ishan Kishan

The question about Ishan Kishan’s snub came into the scene after KS Bharat gave a terrible performance against England in the first two Tests with the bat. According to fans, Ishan Kishan is a far better option than KS Bharat who has not scored a single fifty-plus score after playing seven Test matches. Ishan Kishan scored a fifty in his second Test against the West Indies.

Fans Have advocated for Ishan Kishan’s selection over KS Bharat and have asked a few harsh questions regarding his non-selection. Ishan Kishan is currently not playing cricket in any form and is expected to play in the IPL directly where he will be representing Mumbai Indians (MI). A good performance in the IPL may open the doors for him in the squad for the T20 World Cup which is scheduled for June.

Here Are Some Of The Tweets By Fans Backing Ishan Kishan

@imVkohli @ImRo45 @surya_14kumar @hardikpandya7 #IshanKishan Ishan played so much cricket with Rohit n team but no one supported him. Look how many chance Bharat is getting but Ishan despite scoring was always benched. My respect has gone down for these players. #backstabber pic.twitter.com/DcxICpxSP3

— Rahul Singh (@Rahul0Singh) February 4, 2024

Right now ishan need a chance and his fans need a clarification 🐣#IshanKishan 💞 pic.twitter.com/05YZTVxPTR

— Miss Sonal (@siwach_she75268) February 5, 2024

We will always give You Support 🤝🏻💯#IshanKishan #Come_Back #Ishankishan ❤❤🤞✌@ishankishan51 @vikrantgupta73 @shubhankrmishra @SGanguly99 @BCCI pic.twitter.com/DjArWAzpEk

— Raju kumar kushwaha mahi 🇮🇳❤(राजा भोजपुरिया) (@Rajukumar909787) February 2, 2024

In test cricket if KL Rahul is keeping its fine else only Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant are other options.

KS Bharat is good in keeping but way behind leaving any impact from the bat so far.#IshanKishan should be picked for the rest of the series.#INDvsENGTest pic.twitter.com/iNu4YFHuZv

— Cricket Movie (@DurgeshUpdates) February 4, 2024