BCCI to mandate Ranji Trophy participation amid Ishan Kishan's continued absence and 'IPL mode' concerns

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Feb 12, 2024, 3:22 PM IST

BCCI to issue notice mandating players' participation in Ranji Trophy amid speculation surrounding Ishan Kishan's absence and concerns over players already in "IPL mode".

In recent weeks, there has been significant speculation surrounding certain players' positions in Team India's squad, with particular attention on Ishan Kishan. Ishan has been out of action since November last year and withdrew from the South Africa tour midway through the following month, citing mental fatigue.

Last week, India's head coach Rahul Dravid expressed frustration with repeated questions about Ishan Kishan's absence, emphasizing the need for the player to regain match fitness before returning to the national team. Subsequently, reports emerged that Ishan has resumed training alongside the Pandya brothers, Hardik and Krunal, in Baroda.

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Interestingly, the young wicketkeeper-batsman opted not to make himself available for selection for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan shared his confusion regarding the situation on his official Twitter profile earlier this week, suggesting that he was perplexed by the player's unavailability. It appears that the cricket board has also taken note of the matter.

All the players will be communicated by BCCI to play for their state team in Ranji Trophy apart from who are in national duty, recovery process at NCA - board is not too happy with few players already in IPL mode. [TOI] pic.twitter.com/riZNPHt3jZ

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)

As per a report by the Times of India, the BCCI is poised to issue a notice mandating all players to participate in the Ranji Trophy unless they are "injured." The source cited by the newspaper indicated that certain players are already in "IPL mode," a stance not favored by the cricket board.

“In the next few days, all the players will be communicated by the BCCI to play for their state team in the Ranji Trophy, as long as they are not on national duty, with only those who are unfit and recovering at the NCA being granted an exemption. The Board isn't too happy with certain players already in IPL mode from January,” the source told TOI.

Unlike Ishan, Hardik is presently in the process of recovery from an injury sustained during a 2023 World Cup match against Bangladesh. He is anticipated to make a comeback in the Indian Premier League, where he will lead the Mumbai Indians.

Also read: Greg Chappell foresees intense battle as India set to faces England in Rajkot Test

India is currently engaged in a five-match Test series against England, marking the national team's final assignment before the T20 World Cup in June. Earlier this week, the board unveiled the squad for the remaining three Tests of the series, with Virat Kohli (due to personal reasons) still absent. However, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have returned to the squad following their recovery from injuries in the second Test.

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