Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has departed from his hometown of Ranchi to join the India A squad for their upcoming tour of Australia. A viral video on social media shows Kishan bidding farewell to his family, with his mother and grandmother showering him with blessings as he prepared to leave for the airport.
Watch video here:
Kishan has been included in the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led India A squad, which will play two first-class matches against Australia A in Mackay and Melbourne this month. The tour is part of preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), set to take place in Australia.
Led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, India A will play two first-class matches against Australia A, with the fixtures set for Mackay and Melbourne. The tour will also feature a three-day intra-squad match in Perth against the senior India team, which is preparing for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Kishan’s return to the India A squad comes months after he was dropped from the BCCI’s central contracts list. His exclusion was reportedly linked to concerns about his decision to prioritize the Indian Premier League (IPL) over domestic cricket.
Kishan last featured for India during the 2023 tour of South Africa, but he left the series midway for personal reasons, a move that reportedly did not sit well with the BCCI. The decision to skip domestic tournaments before IPL 2024 further strained relations, leading to his removal from the central contracts.
Now, the 25-year-old cricketer will be looking to make the most of his opportunities with India A, as selectors keep an eye on players for future series.
Squad for Australia Tour
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (WK), Abishek Porel (WK), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian.
