Ishan Kishan Ready to Make Return to Domestic Cricket; Informs JSCA of His Availability for Upcoming Season: Report – News18

Out-of-favour Indian wicketkeeper-batter, Ishan Kishan could be on his way to making a return to domestic cricket as the all-format international player has agreed to play for Jharkhand in the upcoming season and could also be considered in a leadership role for the state.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the 26-year-old has informed the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) regarding his availability for his state for the coming season.

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The domestic season is set to begin with the Duleep Trophy on September 5 in Andhra Pradesh. But the state selectors might not pick the southpaw for the tournament considering that Kishan had refused to play for the side in the previous season.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) mandated earlier that all those who are on a central contract with the national side would have to play in the domestic circuit when not on national duty. The move was taken by the Indian Cricket Board in a bid to preserve the sanctity of the longest format.

Ishan who was part of the ODI World Cup 2023 squad was not seen in the side since November 2023 as he had asked for a break from cricket. Before the Indian Premier League 2024, he had also not participated in the domestic games prior to the IPL and had opted to train in Baroda for the same, which eventually led to him not receiving a central contract.

The report has suggested that the wicketkeeper-batter has received advice from his supporters and national selectors to take part in domestic cricket so that he does not miss out on international cricket as he hits his athletic prime.

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Shreyas Iyer, who also missed out on the central contract, managed to claw his way back into the side after playing a few games for Mumbai in the previous season followed by an impressive campaign in the IPL where he captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third title in the franchise’s history.

Iyer is now part of the Indian side that is taking on Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series in Colombo and Kishan will hope that he can also make his way back into the side with some good performances in the domestic circuit.

For the upcoming domestic season, Jharkhand brought in Shiv Shankar Rao who has played 52 first-class games and will take over as the coach of the state side from Debasis Mohanty.