Chennai: Ishan Kishan, the wicketkeeper batsman for India, will play his first red-ball match in the Buchi Babu event. On August 15, he will lead Jharkhand in a pre-season red-ball match in Tamil Nadu.
Having not been on Jharkhand’s initial long list, Kishan decided to play, and he informed the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) of his desire to do so. He will report to the team in Chennai on Wednesday, per a report from ESPNcricinfo.
According to the article, Kishan expressed his wish to rejoin the state selectors, and it is anticipated that he would do so in the 2024–25 season.
He played in December 2022 in his last domestic first-class match. He did not prioritize domestic cricket and lost his spot on the central contract list as a result of his decision to skip the Ranji Trophy at the close of the 2023–24 domestic season.
It was never about skill with Ishan. All that mattered was whether he was prepared to go back. It was up to him to decide. The only reason he wasn’t on the first list was because we hadn’t heard from him. He was brought in as soon as he indicated that he was eager to return, according to a JSCA official, as ESPNcricinfo reported.
In 2023, the 26-year-old replaced an injured Rishabh Pant during India’s tour of the West Indies, making his Test debut. That tour’s second Test was his last first-class match. He was picked for the South Africa series, but he chose not to play because of mental exhaustion.
In 2023, Kishan appeared in two Test matches, seventeen one-day internationals, and eleven twenty20 internationals. He played two matches at the top of the order while Shubman Gill was absent due to illness, and he was a member of the Indian team that advanced to the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
The Buchi Babu competition, which was brought back to life last year after a six-year hiatus, will be played under a four-day red-ball format similar to the one used in the Ranji Trophy league rounds.
For the 12 participating teams, it thus acts as essential training ahead of the 2024–25 domestic season.
