Ishan Kishan returns to red-ball cricket, named Jharkhand's captain for Buchi Babu tournament

Keeper-batsman Ishan Kishan is set to make his return to domestic red-ball cricket.

Left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan has been named Jharkhand’s skipper for the upcoming Buchi Babu tournament in Tamil Nadu. This will mark his return to red-ball cricket, having not played the longer format for more than a year.

The All India Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament is scheduled from August 15 to September 11 across four venues in Tamil Nadu. 12 teams, out of which 10 are state-based and two are from Tamil Nadu, will compete in this competition.

The matches will be played in a four-day format. This tournament marks the beginning of India’s domestic season, leading into Duleep Trophy and then Ranji Trophy.

Ishan Kishan was not part of the Jharkhand’s original list

A report in ESPNcricinfo confirmed that Kishan was not included in Jharkhand’s original list for this competition but was added to the squad after he “expressed his keenness to return” to domestic cricket.

“With Ishan, it was never about ability. It was only about whether he was ready to return. The decision was with him. When he was not included in the initial list, it was only because we hadn’t heard from him. The moment he expressed his keenness to return, he was drafted in,” a Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) official said.

Kishan’s last red-ball game was during his debut test series in West Indies in July 2023 and his last domestic first-class game was in December 2022.

He skipped the last phase of the Ranji Trophy 2023/24 despite being asked to feature in it by the BCCI. That turned out to be costly for the 26-year-old as he was then omitted from BCCI’s central contracts along with Shreyas Iyer.

India have a long test season coming up – five tests at home and five away in Australia. Impressive performances in domestic red-ball cricket could lead to a recall to the test setup for the Jharkhand keeper-batsman.

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