Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra): Wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan, who had taken a break from cricket, due to mental fatigue is back on the cricket field after nearly two months.
The diminutive stumper played for the RBI against Route Mobile Limited in the 18th D Y Patil T20 Cup, which is being held in Navi Mumbai and Talegoan. The game featuring Kishan was played at the University ground inside the DY Patil complex in Nerul in Navi Mumbai. Kishan played as a wicket-keeper batter.
The 25-year-old Patna-born cricketer stumped Sumit Dhekale off seamer Sayan Mondal and later scored 19 off 12 balls with two boundaries and a six, as his team suffered an 89-run loss to Route Mobile Limited.
Batting first, Route posted 192 for 8 in their 20 overs thanks to Aayush Vartan's 54 off 31 balls and Dhekale's 42. In response, RBI were shot out for just 103 in 16.3 overs. For Route, the best bowler was Badrey Alam (5 for 20).
Ishan Kishan, who has played 2 Tests, 27 ODIs and 32 T20s, had opted out from India's tour of South Africa citing mental fatigue. For the record, the elegant left-handed batter Kishan has 78 Test runs, 933 ODI runs and 796 T20 runs to his credit. 25-year-old Ishan did not even play Ranji Trophy games for Jharkhand. He last played a Test against West Indies at Port of Spain from July 20-24, 2023. He last played an ODI against Afghanistan in Delhi on October 11, 2023, and last played a T20 against Australia at Guwahati on November 28, 2023.
Kishan also was not selected for the current five-match Test series against Ben Stokes-led England. India head coach Rahul Dravid had said that needs to return to playing some form of cricket before getting himself back in contention for a spot in the national team. "There is a way back for anyone and everyone. It's not that we rule out anybody from anything," Dravid had said during the second test against England at Visakhapatnam.
