Ambati Rayudu brutally mocks Ishan Kishan on air, brings out the Ranji Trophy sword

Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu brutally mocked Mumbai Indians (MI) wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan during a recent match in the IPL 2024. Ambati Rayudu’s remarks related to Ishan Kishan’s non-participation in domestic red ball tournaments.

Ishan Kishan hasn’t had the best of times lately. He didn’t receive an annual contract from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He opted out of India’s Test series against South Africa, the T20I series against Afghanistan, and the England red ball series.

The left-handed batter didn’t represent his state team, Jharkhand, in the recent trophy, despite a warning from the BCCI. Instead, the wicketkeeper-batter joined the Pandya brothers, Hardik and Krunal, to prepare for the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League.

The 24-year-old batter last represented India in a five-match T20I series against Australia in November 2023. He made his comeback during the Mumbai Indians’ first match in the IPL 2024. However, he had a challenging start in his return to professional cricket.

Ambati Rayudu Brutally Mocks Ishan Kishan On Air

During Gujarat Titans batting, Ishan Kishan failed to catch a ball behind the stumps, prompting criticism from Ambati Rayudu, who said that playing in the Ranji Trophy might have improved his skills.

“Shayad Ranji Trophy khele hote toh pakad lete yeh ball,” Rayudu said on Star Sports.

Ishan Kishan suffered a four-ball duck at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 24th. He fell victim to Titans all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who debuted in the IPL. The southpaw departed without contributing any runs to the scoreboard.

Mumbai Indians Suffer 6-run Defeat In Recent IPL 2024 Match

Earlier, Hardik Pandya opted to bowl first after winning the toss. The visiting team restricted the opposition team to 168 runs in 20 overs. Sai Sudharsan (45), Shubman Gill (31), and Rahul Tewatia (22) made valuable contributions to the team in their first match.

Jasprit Bumrah stood out as the top bowler for the Mumbai team, claiming three wickets for 14 runs in his four overs. Debutant Gerald Coetzee impressed with two wickets for 27 runs in his allotted overs. Piyush Chawla succeeded in dismissing Shubman Gill.

In response, the team led by Hardik Pandya managed to score 162 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. Despite being in a good position at one stage, MI fell short of the target. This marked their failure to secure a win in their tournament opener since 2012.

I Feel They Will Win A Lot Of Matches For India – Harbhajan Singh

Speaking to Hindustan Times, former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh advised Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan to view their exclusion from the annual BCCI contract positively as an opportunity for growth in their cricketing careers.

“It’s a learning curve for them. Whatever step was taken was for their betterment, that is how they should take it. I look at this in a rather constructive way because from here on, I feel they could emerge as better players. But we still do not know what was going on in their heads. They are both brilliant cricketers and I feel they will win a lot of matches for India in the future,” said Harbhajan.

Also read: Ishan Kishan to be benched for the entire season after a duck vs GT? Kieron Pollard reveals Mumbai Indians isn’t happy