Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan recently shared his emotional turmoil following his removal from the BCCI central contract in February. Kishan, along with Shreyas Iyer, faced consequences for not participating in domestic cricket while away from the national side. Kishan left a tour in late 2023 due to travel fatigue, while Iyer was dropped during India’s home Test series against England.
Reflecting on this difficult period, Kishan admitted, “It was depressing. Today I don’t want to say that everything was fine. It was not easy for me at all. You go through a lot. Mere dimag mey ye sab chalta raha ki yaar kya hoga gaya, kyu ho gaya, mere saath kyu (Questions like what happened, why me). All these things happened when I was performing.”
Family Support
Kishan highlighted the emotional impact on his family during this tough phase. He said, “A sportsperson can deal with what people on the outside are saying. What stresses you out is how your parents are taking it. How they are dealing with it. When you get to know that they are equally affected, it hurts you, and kills you from inside. But at that point in time, my family members were very supportive. They backed me and my decisions. They understood that I was not feeling well. They understood my situation. They never questioned it but they rallied around me and never left me alone.”
Decision to Take a Break
Kishan explained his rationale for taking a break from both international and domestic cricket. “I was scoring runs and then I found myself on the bench. These things do happen in a team sport. But I experienced travel fatigue. It meant there was something wrong, I was not feeling well or right and so I decided to take a break. However, sadly, barring my family and few close people no one understood that.”
He further elaborated on his decision to avoid domestic matches, despite the BCCI’s emphasis on the importance of domestic cricket for maintaining a place in the national team. “I took a break and I think it was normal. There is a rule that if you want to make a comeback you must perform in domestic cricket. It is as simple as that. Now, it was very different for me to play domestic cricket as it was not making any sense. I was not in a frame of mind to play and that is why I took a break from international cricket. It doesn’t make sense that you take a break from international cricket and then you go and play domestic matches. Fir toh aap international hi khelte (Then I could have continued playing for India).”
Despite the challenges, Kishan expressed optimism about his current state and future plans. He mentioned that he is now in an “excellent frame of mind” and is preparing to travel to Mumbai to get ready for the upcoming domestic season, where he hopes to give his best for Jharkhand.
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