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In the wake of India’s recently announced squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, the omissions of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer have sparked considerable intrigue within the cricketing community. Both players, known for their explosive batting prowess, were unexpectedly left out, leaving fans and pundits curious about the reasons behind their exclusion.
Curious case of Ishan Kishan
Before his exclusion from the squad, Kishan had withdrawn from participating in two Tests against South Africa, citing personal reasons. However, a report in the Times of India shed light on scenario and claimed about selectors’ discontent with the 25-year-old.
According to the report, the selectors were irked by Ishan’s participation in social activities, particularly his presence at a party in Dubai with former India captain MS Dhoni after opting out of the Test series. He also featured in a TV-show, which further triggered the selection panel.
Reported reason behind Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion
The same report claimed that after a lacklustre performance in the South Africa tour, where Iyer scored just 41 runs in four innings, selectors expressed dissatisfaction with his playing approach. Consequently, there were purported discussions about urging the right-handed batter to represent Mumbai in the ongoing season Ranji Trophy upon his return to India.
But, instead of opting to play domestic cricket, the 29-year-old requested some time off, a decision that did not sit well with the selectors, leading to his exclusion from the Afghanistan series.
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Rahul Dravid’s clarification on the scenario
While hosting a press conference ahead of India versus Afghanistan T20I series, India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, weighed in on the reports, stating they are completely false. The former batter said there is no controversy regarding the selection of Ishan and Iyer. The latter clarified that Ishan is missing out on the T20I series because he has yet to make himself available, and Iyer has not been named in the team due to the fierce competition.
“No absolutely not (disciplinary issue). Ishan Kishan was not available for selection. Ishan requested for a break, which we agreed in South Africa. We supported it. He has not yet made himself available. I don’t think he has made himself available as yet. Certainly, in Shreyas Iyer’s case, there is absolutely no disciplinary reason for his non-inclusion. It’s just that he missed out. There were a lot of battes in the team. Shreyas missed out, he didn’t play the T20Is in South Africa, if you noticed,” Dravid said.
