IND vs AUS: Ishan Kishan locked in before Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Young wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is expected to make a comeback to the India A side for the upcoming tour of Australia next month. As per PTI, Ishan Kishan will be returning to the India A side following an impressive century for Jharkhand in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season.

Earlier this year, Kishan was released from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) central contracts for prioritizing the IPL over domestic cricket. He last played for India against the South Africa tour in 2023 but pulled out of the series halfway. Since then, he hasn't been recalled to the national team.

After Kishan failed to make it to the squad for the Test series against England, then head coach Rahul Dravid stated that the batter needed to play domestic cricket to earn his place back in the national team. Dravid said that the team maintained communication with him but left the choice in his hands.

"He had requested a break, we were happy to give him a break. Whenever he is ready, he needs to play some cricket and come back. The choice is his. We are not forcing him to do anything. We are in touch with him," Dravid said.

Ishan Kishan Set To Play For India A In Australia Tour

According to a report in the news agency PTI, Ishan Kishan is set to play two four-day Test matches against Australia A and an intra-squad match with the senior India team. Kishan is currently leading Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy and is expected to play for India A in matches at McKay and Melbourne.

Kishan scored 101 runs off 158 balls with 13 fours and 2 sixes on Day 1 of Jharkhand's second match in the Elite Group D of the Ranji Trophy. Jharkhand ended the day play with 325 runs for the loss of five wickets. Notably, it was his third century in red-ball cricket since his return to the format in August.

Ruturaj Gaikwad Likely To Lead India A In Australia

The BCCI has not yet announced the India A squad, but there are speculations that either Ruturaj Gaikwad or Abhimanyu Easwaran could lead the team. Abhimanyu, who has scored four centuries in his last four first-class matches, is also likely to be selected as a backup opener for skipper Rohit Sharma.

Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad was seen as the first choice for the backup opener role during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series. However, Easwaran has boosted his chances with consistent performances in red-ball cricket. Tamil Nadu opener Sai Sudharsan would also be included in the India A squad.

Likely India A squad for tour of Australia:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, B Indrajith, Abishek Porel (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Ricky Bhui, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Manav Suthar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Tanush Kotian, Yash Dayal.

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