Ishan Kishan is uncertain to participate in the Duleep Trophy 2024 match starting on Thursday (September 5) in Anantapur. Kishan, who is part of Team D led by Shreyas Iyer, may withdraw due to a suspected injury, though the exact reason remains unclear. The wicketkeeper-batter might be nursing an injury.
Sanju Samson, who was initially left out of the squads announced by the selectors, is expected to replace Kishan in the Team D lineup.
Kishan’s availability for the rest of the four-day first-class tournament is still undecided and may depend on his selection for India's two-Test series against Bangladesh. However, there's a chance he could feature in the later stages of the six-match event. Team D’s second match is scheduled against Team A on September 12 in Anantapur.
Kishan recently played for Jharkhand in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai but only appeared in two matches as Jharkhand was knocked out during the league stage. In those games, he faced Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad. Jharkhand won the first match, but lost the second, leading to their elimination.
In the second game, held at India Cements Ground in Chennai, Kishan struggled, scoring just 1 and 5 in his two innings. In the first game, however, he shone with a century (114) in the first innings and an unbeaten 41 in the second.
Kishan was sidelined last season for disciplinary reasons after skipping some Ranji Trophy matches despite clear instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play. He was told that national team consideration would only come after he played for Jharkhand. While he did partially fulfill this by playing in the Buchi Babu tournament, it’s not classified as a national competition. His inclusion in the Duleep Trophy might indicate that the selectors are softening their stance on him, though his potential last-minute withdrawal raises questions about how they will now perceive the situation.
Kishan could join Suryakumar Yadav in missing the red-ball tournament. The India T20I captain sustained a hand injury during the Buchi Babu tournament and is reportedly undergoing treatment at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Additionally, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj have already pulled out for different reasons.