Ishan Kishan unlikely for first Duleep Trophy game

As of Thursday (September 5), Ishan Kishan is doubtful to start the Duleep Trophy 2024 match in Anantapur. The wicketkeeper-batter is a member of Shreyas Iyer’s Team D squad. There is no clear explanation for Kishan’s withdrawal, but Cricbuzz has reliably learned he may be injured.

Sanju Samson, who was not included in any of the four teams announced by the selectors earlier, is likely to replace Kishan.

Currently, it is unclear whether Kishan will be participating in the first class tournament in the later stages. Besides, it will also be subject to the Indian team selection for the two-Test series against Bangladesh, but there is a possibility he could feature in the late stages of the six-match competition. From September 12 to 15, Team D will play Team A in Anantapur, where they will play three matches.

Kishan represented his state team, Jharkhand, in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai, but his participation was limited to two games as his team could not advance beyond the league stage. In the TNCA-organised tournament, he played two games against Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad. Jharkhand won the first game and lost the second before being eliminated.

In the second match, played at India Cements Ground in Shankar Nagar in Chennai, Kishan scored 1 off 11 and 5 off 22 deliveries in the two innings before his team was eliminated. Kishan scored 114 runs in his first innings and remained unbeaten in his second innings with 41 runs.

After skipping a few Ranji Trophy matches last season in spite of instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Kishan was sidelined by the national selectors on disciplinary grounds. After playing for his state team, Kishan will be considered for national selection.

By participating in the Buchi Babu tournament, Kishan may have partially met this requirement, although the red-ball tournament is not recognized as a national one. It is unclear how the selectors will view his last-minute withdrawal now, but his inclusion in the Duleep Trophy mix may suggest that they are beginning to ease their tough stance against him.

During the Buchi Babu tournament, Kishan sustained a hand injury, which has him being treated at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He may join Suryakumar Yadav in missing the multi-day red-ball tournament. Both Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj have already withdrawn from the competition.

Krishna to miss Team A’s first game

With Shubman Gill having confirmed that Prasidh Krishna will not be available for the team’s opening match in Bengaluru from September 5, the pacer’s return from quad injury has been further delayed. The 28-year-old had missed the IPL 2024 due to surgery in February, but was expected to return at the recently-concluded KPL. He was picked up by the eventual winners at the auction in 2024.

Anatpur’s first assignment for Ratra

Upon being appointed by the BCCI on Tuesday, Ajay Ratra will have to begin working immediately. He has been assigned to the Duleep Trophy matches at Anantapur, where other selectors will also be. Two selectors will also attend the Bengaluru game between Team A and Team B before the entire selection committee convenes in Anantapur for the remainder of the tournament.