Report claims Team India management contacted Ishan Kishan during ongoing Test series vs England, check out how he reacted

Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer have been in the news ever since the Indian Cricket Board announced the annual contract list. The star duo, who were part of the Indian team across formats and even participated in the 2023 ODI World Cup, did not make the list. The shocking move from the cricket board was reportedly due to their absence from the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.  

Although no official reason was given for the exclusion of Kishan and Iyer, the reason was already hinted at by the board. All players are expected to participate in domestic cricket when not part of the national team. Kishan, who was part of the Indian squad that toured South Africa, withdrew from the Test series citing mental fatigue.

From then until the last moment of the retainership list announcement for the 2023-24 season, he did not play any competitive cricket. The 25-year-old was supposed to play domestic cricket after he opted out of the national team. But he continued to skip Ranji Trophy matches for his state team Jharkhand even after head coach Rahul Dravid advised him to participate in the domestic circuit to regain his place in the Indian squad. 

On the other hand, Iyer also made excuses to exclude him from the Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai. The middle-order batter, who was dropped after the first two Tests against England, cited injury as the reason for not playing in India's premier red-ball tournament. However, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) report on his injury was conflicting, forcing the board to take strict action.

Meanwhile, according to a report by ESPNcriinfo, Team India management had contacted Kishan during the ongoing India vs England five-match Test series. However, the wicketkeeper batter's response was that he was not ready yet. His withdrawal, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Dhruv Jurel got the opportunity and he grabbed it with both hands by winning the Player of the Match award.