With an eye towards rejoining the Indian team, Ishan Kishan made a spectacular start to his red ball cricket comeback. The wicket-keeper batsman is preparing for the first round of the next Duleep Trophy matches in September by taking part in the Buchi Babu Invitation Cricket Tournament after being selected by the BCCI for the India C squad. The keeper, who was representing Jharkhand, wiped aside any cobwebs, giving the impression that he hadn’t participated in a red-ball match in over a year.
After a long day of cricket, Kishan demonstrated his skill behind the stumps by taking three well-timed catches against Madhya Pradesh.
Watch: Ishan Kishan takes three good catches behind the stumps
The best catch of the day went to Kishan’s last one. Ramveer Gurjar of Madhya Pradesh had flicked it towards the leg side, and Kishan had to make an incredible diving save to make the catch.
Right-hander Chanchal Rathore was dismissed by Kishan’s first-ball catch, which was quite easy. The second one needed Kishan to have presence of mind because it was taken off spinner Aditya Singh’s delivery. Shubham S. Kushwah, a left-hander, edged it, and Kishan had to gather himself to attempt it again after the ball had bounced off his gloves the first time.
Madhya Pradesh ended the day on 225/8.
Kishan has had a challenging 2024. Along with having a difficult IPL season for the Mumbai Indians, who finished with the wooden spoon, Kishan also had a difficult time being included in the BCCI’s central contract list due to his purported refusal to play local cricket.
Kishan, though, now has a route back to Team India. Being a part of the BCCI’s Duleep Trophy squads indicates that coach Gautam Gambhir and selector Ajit Agarkar still have Kishan on their rosters.
Brief scores: Madhya Pradesh 225/8 in 90 overs (Shubham S Kushwah 84, Arham Aquil 57; Vivekanand Tiwary 2-25, Aditya Singh 2-29) against Jharkhand
