‘Aap international hi khelte’: Kishan opens up about skipping domestic cricket

NEW DELHI: India’s wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan faced criticism for not participating in domestic cricket after former coach Rahul Dravid suggested he should do so to make a comeback to the Indian team. Following an extended break for personal reasons, Kishan returned to play in the Indian Premier League. However, he has not secured a spot in the national squad since his break from international cricket last December.
Kishan has now provided reasons for his breaks, which eventually led to his removal from the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) central contracts list.

“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 international cricket),” Kishan explained in an interview with the Indian Express.

Expressing his frustration, Kishan emphasized the difficulties of not getting sufficient playing time for the Indian team despite performing well.
“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 dimaag me ye sab chalta raha ki yaar kya ho gaya, kyun ho gaya, mere saath kyu (Questions like what happened, why me). All these things happened when I was performing,” he elaborated.
Kishan missed the South Africa tour and the Ranji Trophy but made his return during the Indian Premier League earlier this year, playing for Mumbai Indians. His performance, however, did not meet his expectations. He scored 320 runs from 14 innings, averaging 22.85 and maintaining a strike rate of 148.83.
With the domestic season nearing, Kishan aims to prove his capabilities and reclaim his position in the national team. The 25-year-old aspires to establish himself in all three formats of the game despite recent exclusions.
Kishan’s record shows promise, having played two Test matches and scoring 78 runs with one half-century. In white-ball cricket, he has accumulated 933 runs in 27 ODIs at an average of 42.40, including one century and seven fifties. In T20Is, he has scored 796 runs in 32 games, with a strike rate of 124.37 and six fifties.