'No disciplinary reason': Rahul Dravid says Ishan Kishan hasn't made himself available since asking for break
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Jan 10, 2024, 5:56 PM ISTIndia's head coach, Rahul Dravid, has addressed the exclusion of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the T20I squad set to face Afghanistan.
India's head coach Rahul Dravid has addressed the absence of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the T20I squad against Afghanistan, dispelling reports of disciplinary issues. Both players were notably missing from the 16-member squad set to face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series beginning January 11.
According to an Indian Express report, Ishan expressed a desire to opt out of the Test assignment, citing mental fatigue from extended periods on the bench. Subsequently, he was spotted partying in Dubai, a development that reportedly did not sit well with BCCI selectors and team management.
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It was also reported that Ishan initially wanted to skip the Australia T20I series after the ODI World Cup but faced rejection. Similarly, his request to miss the white-ball series against South Africa was also turned down. Later, during the Test series against South Africa, Ishan approached the BCCI again, and this time, his plea was accepted.
"He told the team management that he has mental fatigue because he had been on the road continuously and wanted to spend time with his family back home. Instead, he chose to travel to Dubai and was seen partying," a source quoted by the paper explained.
The curious case of Ishan Kishan 🤔
“He told the team management that he has mental fatigue because he had been on the road continuously and wanted to spend time with his family back home. Instead, he chose to travel to Dubai and was seen partying.”
Source: The Indian Express… pic.twitter.com/1vSMhQb4Ml
Those close to the player argued that the location of his off-time activities should not matter. They claimed that Ishan went to Dubai to celebrate his brother's birthday.
"When he has been given a break, how does it matter where he spends his time? He wants to be away from the game as constant traveling and warming the bench has taken a toll mentally. And he was in Dubai for his brother's birthday celebrations," a person said, defending Kishan.
Concerns are rising that Ishan might be excluded from consideration for the T20 World Cup next year, considering the Afghanistan series is India's last before the mega event. The return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the shortest format has heightened the competition for top-order positions in the batting unit. However, a stellar season for Mumbai Indians could potentially bring Ishan back into the selectors' consideration for the T20 World Cup.
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