Ishan Kishan got a major responsibility ahead of the India vs West Indies Test series. BCCI announced the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series without the talented keeper-batter. But the state has a lot of trust in Ishan Kishan. 

In a major update, he has been named as the captain of the Jharkhand cricket team for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. In the season, the top-order batter will be seen leading his state team. It is now the first time that the Jharkhand cricket governing body showed trust in him. In October 2024, Ishan Kishan was appointed captain of the Jharkhand cricket team for the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy season following the retirement of Saurabh Tiwary.

The left-handed batter has been out from Team India for a long time. The upcoming Ranji Trophy campaign with Jharkhand will be a major opportunity to show his true colors against some of the big names of Indian cricket. The Bihar-born was in great form during this year's Championship Division One with Nottinghamshire. In two matches he scored 87 and 77 runs, respectively, against Yorkshire and Somerset.

🚨 CAPTAIN ISHAN KISHAN 🚨

- Ishan Kishan appointed as the Captain of Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy. 👑 pic.twitter.com/zmmgEYLcNi

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 27, 2025

Read More: 'May be He will not score...'- Irfan Pathan's surprising statement on Abhishek Sharma before IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Final

Ishan Kishan got a major role in crucial time

Ishan started his IPL 2025 campaign with Sunrisers Hyderabad in a promising way but soon struggled to maintain consistency. For most of the Indian Premier League season. The batter, who played an unbeaten 106-run knock, concluded IPL 2025 at a batting average of 35.40 in 13 innings. He smashed a half-century as well. 

Why is Ishan Kishan not in the Test squad? In reply, head of Team India's selection committee Ajit Agarkar said, "When we picked India A, Ishan Kishan wasn't fit. Jagadeesan was part of the squad when Ishan wasn't fit. Ishan will have to play a bit more cricket and show some performances."

Rishabh Pant is unavailable for the India vs West Indies Test series for injury reasons, so Dhruv Jurel and Narayan Jagadeesan are named in the squad. Jurel is expected to be the main keeper for the series, with Jagadeesan as the second option. But why did the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee not consider Ishant Kishan for the assignment? The head of the selection committee, Agarkar, explained why Ishan Kishan is not in the squad. 

Ishan Kishan has so far played only 2 Test matches after making his debut in July 2023 against the West Indies. The keeper-batter started his international career in a promising way but soon started to lose momentum. Things got worse when he pulled himself out from the 2023-24 South Africa tour. As a reason, the top-order batter cited his mental health. Later, he was dropped from BCCI's central contract. The board asked every player to participate in domestic matches, but Ishan dared to go against the directive as well. He remained out of cricket for a while and took some time to regain his rhythm with the bat. The southpaw played some promising knocks in IPL 2025 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), but in an inconsistent manner.

Ahead of the India vs West Indies Test series, Indian cricket fans were curious to know whether BCCI could select Kishan for the series. Now, the answer is clear: no room for Ishan Kishan. Agarkar strongly said that the keeper-batter needs to prove himself first. It is clear that the board is not happy at all with the cricketer at all. 

Read More: BCCI selects RCB star as captain of Rest of India for Irani Cup

Why Ishan Kishan is not in India squad for West Indies Test series?

"When we picked India A, Ishan Kishan wasn't fit. Jagadeesan was part of the squad when Ishan wasn't fit. Ishan will have to play a bit more cricket and show some performances," Agarkar said. 

India squad for West Indies Tests:

Shubman Gill (captain), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, and Narayan Jagadeesan. 

Actress Akriti Negi’s incredible Rise and Fall journey has become one of the amazing moments of the season in no time. Her bravery, a never-say-die attitude, and a unique sense of humor have not only won the hearts of the audience but also gotten the attention of the Indian cricket stars.

The show hosted by businessman Ashneer Grover has contestants locked into a unique setup where they are tested for their resilience and adaptability. Akriti, who earlier appeared on Splitsvilla and Roadies, has earned a reputation as one of the strongest participants on the show. With the finale drawing near, a clip of Indian cricketer Ishan Kishan urging fans to vote for her has gone viral on social media.

The video, shared by tennis player Anshuman Srivastava on Instagram, shows Ishan Kishan appealing, “Please everyone, vote only for Akriti.” In the background, Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh’s songs can be heard playing, adding a fun element that caught the attention of fans.

Cricketers’ Support and Rumoured Connections

Ishan’s support surprised many fans, who expected him to back Dhanshree Verma, the ex-wife of Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Rumors also suggest that all-rounder Nitish Reddy and pacer Akash Deep have quietly backed Akriti Negi, though none have posted publicly on social media.

Watch the video here

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Anshumat Srivastava (@anshumatsrivastava)

See Also: 'What more can I...'- Suryakumar Yadav's special message to Oman after post 21-run win in Asia Cup 2025

A possible reason behind Ishan Kishan’s vocal support is Akriti’s rumored relationship with tennis player Anshuman Srivastava. Considering that Anshuman is close friends with both Ishan and Shubman Gill, Ishan’s support looks more like a gesture of goodwill to the partner of his friend.

The runners-up of the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Sunrisers Hyderabad, who went though an excellent season thanks to some incredible batting and bowling performances under the captaincy of Pat Cummins, couldn’t repeat the same dominance in the recent edition and ended at the sixth position in the points table to earn just six victories in 14 encounters at a net run rate of -0.241. 

Sunrisers started their campaign with a 44-run IPL victory against the Rajasthan Royals at home before facing four successive defeats in the event. By the time they grabbed three consecutive victories in the business end of the competition against Lucknow, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, it was too late for the side.

See Also: Top 3 players to watch from Hong Kong ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Looking ahead to the 2026 edition, Hyderabad will need to make some changes to the playing eleven and, more importantly, to the squad. They could also leave a few players with an aim to get them back for a low price during the mini auction of the next season.

Let’s take a look at the five players that the Sunrisers Hyderabad might release before IPL 2026, featuring Ishan Kishan.

5. Ishan Kishan

The left-handed Indian wicket-keeper batter, Ishan Kishan, came into the franchise for a huge price of INR 11.25 crore and scored a century in the opening clash against Rajasthan. But he couldn’t hold the same form and rhythm for the rest of the season and ended with just 354 runs in 13 innings at an average of 35.40 and a strike rate of 152.58.

Kishan has scored over 300 runs in the last four editions of the tournament. The SRH management can aim to get the batter back in the squad during the mini auction. On many occasions, the southpaw struggled to get going from the start, which was a concern for the franchise.

4. Mohammed Shami

During a recent interaction with India’s veteran and one of the premier pacers, Mohammed Shami, the fast bowler revealed that he could keep cards and doors open to get selected in other franchises for the next season of the IPL. The right-arm pacer couldn’t find his right line and length in most games and was bashed for several runs, which cost the 2016 champions in the power play.

Shami, who has collected 133 IPL wickets in 119 innings at an average of under 29 and a strike rate of below 20 with an economy rate of 8.63, thanks to the two four-wicket hauls in an inning, has bagged only six scalps in nine innings in 2025 at an economy rate of over 11.

Looking at how Shami has performed in his international career in recent years, it would be wiser for the franchise to leave the Bengal pacer and get him back for a lower price than INR 10 crore.

3. Abhinav Manorhar

Abhinav Manohar, the former Gujarat Titans player, came to the Sunrisers Hyderabad side last season for a price of INR 3.20 crore. He was known for his incredible aggression with the bat in the lower order to help the franchise give a good finish. But he somehow failed to repeat the same thing during the last edition of the event.

Manohar, who clubbed 114 runs in six IPL innings at an average of 19 and a strike rate of over 137 in 2023, got just 61 runs in five innings of the IPL 2025 at a strike rate of only 100. On many occasions, he failed to offer them a good finish in the lower order.

Either the Sunrisers could think of changing the player or bring him back for a lower price for the new edition.

2. Adam Zampa

It’s incredibly hard to believe how the veteran Australian leg spinner, Adam Zampa, despite being one of the successful white-ball bowlers of the national side, hasn’t been able to crack the IPL code yet. Sunrisers brought him after releasing Wanindu Hasaranga. But the 33-year-old in two innings of the IPL 2025 picked up only a couple of wickets at an average of 47 and an economy rate of nearly 12.

Zampa’s T20 experience isn’t new, with him collecting 386 wickets in 307 T20 innings at an average of 21.53 and an economy rate of 7.48. Hyderabad can think of getting better options than the spinner, whom they bagged for a price of INR 2.40 crore.

1. Rahul Chahar

The 26-year-old Indian leg spinner, Rahul Chahar, was at times one of the vital members of the eleven for the Mumbai Indians when they won the IPL 2020. But his form has gone down in the last couple of seasons of the league.

In 2025, he came to the franchise for a price of INR 3.20 crore and could not open his account in the solitary game he played at the Wankhede against the Mumbai franchise. Even in that clash, he bowled just one over, and he could be one of the bowlers to get left out of the side.

Like many sports personalities and cricketers, Ishan Kishan has endless love for world-class cars. The star keeper-batter owned multiple luxurious cars from some of the top automobile brands in the world. This article is to explore the garage full of expensive cars of Ishan Kishan. 

Ishan, one of the brightest talents of Indian cricket, had to suffer a major setback as he was dropped from BCCI's central contract. Before that, he emerged as a constant figure for Team India in various formats. Ishan Kishan's last match for India was a T20I against Australia on November 28, 2023, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. After this match, he was not considered for Team India selection. After his last international match, he has played for several franchises and clubs. In the IPL 2025, the keeper-batter displayed some of his exciting batting skills. Needless to say, with his hard work and skill sets, the Bihar-born remains as a figure on the cricket ground to watch out for. And outside the field, his fashion sense and car collection are enough to attract eyes.

Former cricketer Suresh Raina recently added a new point to the ongoing discussion about India’s talented wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan. He also showed support for him in India’s T20I squad, despite Kishan’s omission from the 2025 Asia Cup team. Speaking on a YouTube podcast, Raina praised Kishan’s class and temperament. He also said that Kishan is the most underrated batsman in the world.

The left-hand batter has not played for the national team for many years. Ishan Kishan will not feature in East Zone’s opening match of the 2025 Duleep Trophy, as he is recovering from a minor injury in the UK. The incident happened during his time with Nottinghamshire, where he reportedly suffered cuts and needed stitches after falling off an e-bike.

Although the injury is not serious, he has been kept out as a precaution, considering his potential selection for the India A squad next month. This is also the reason why he will miss the Asia Cup squad.

Also Read -WATCH: Highlights of Rinku Singh's hammering 78* off 48 innings in UP T20 League

Raina Calls Ishan Kishan the Most Underrated Player

Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube podcast, Suresh Raina named fellow left-hander Ishan Kishan as the most underrated player. He said that Kishan can play many strong shots and has done well in his career so far.

“(Most underrated batsman) – Ishan Kishan. He is a very strong player. He has done really well. When he performs, he hits powerful shots,” Raina said. Notably, Ishan Kishan made a century on his SRH debut in IPL 2025. He scored an unbeaten 106 off 47 balls, which helped the 2016 champions reach 286/6 in 20 overs.

Suresh Raina said - "Ishan Kishan is the Most underrated Batsman in the World". (Shubhankar Mishra YT). pic.twitter.com/tg9KeRTqLI

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) August 31, 2025

Replacement Named: Aashirwad Swain Steps In

In Kishan’s absence, Odisha’s Aashirwad Swain has been added to the East Zone squad. Jharkhand’s Kumar Kushagra is expected to keep wickets as the first-choice when East Zone takes on North Zone, led by Shubman Gill, in the quarterfinal starting August 28 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), Bengaluru.

Why Kishan Missed the England Test Call-Up?

Kishan’s injury also affected his national team chances. He was not considered as a replacement for Rishabh Pant in the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval due to his recovery. Instead, Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan was sent as the back-up keeper to Dhruv Jurel. The Jharkhand-based batter is expected to undergo fitness tests at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. For Kishan, the main focus is full recovery before a possible call-up to the India A squad, which will host Australia A in two four-day matches next month.

The Indian wicket-keeper batter, Ishan Kishan, will not feature for the East Zone for the curtain raiser of the Duleep Trophy 2025 as he hasn’t recovered fully from the minor injury that he picked up in the United Kingdom during his stint with Nottinghamshire. The selectors have replaced him with Odisha’s Ashirwad Swain. It has been revealed that the Jharkhand batter fell off an e-bike.

That was the reason why he wasn’t considered as the replacement of Rishabh Pant ahead of India's fifth and final red-ball clash against England at the Kennington Oval. This was why N Jagadeesan flew as back-up to Dhurv Jurel. Kisha’s injury doesn’t appear to be a serious one, as he could play for India A in the upcoming two four-day fixtures against Australia next month.

See Also: Asia Cup 2025: Why Shubman Gill should be selected in the squad?

The southpaw will now continue to go through the fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru of the BCCI. In his absence, his state team-mate, Kumar Kushagra, will be the first-choice wicket-keeper for the East Zone.

East Zone to miss Akash Deep in Duleep Trophy 2025

East Zone will also be without their fast bowler, Akash Deep, who has been suggested to rest due to his niggle, whose fitness assessment is likely to happen a few days later. He was on the England trip recently and missed the fourth Manchester clash due to a back injury before smashing a fine fifty as a nightwatchman in the second innings of the fifth Oval Test.

Akash Deep enjoyed a decent series with 13 wickets in three games, including a maiden ten-wicket haul during the second Birmingham encounter. Akash has been replaced by Assam’s Mukhtar Hussain for the Abhimanyu-led side. Riyan Parag will be the deputy of Easwaran. Their squad is comprised of Mukhesh Kumar and Mohammed Shami.

East Zone will start their campaign on August 28 against Shubman Gill’s North Zone. All the games will be played at the CoE in Bengaluru.

Updated East Zone squad for Duleep Trophy 2025 opener

Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Ashirwad Swain (wk), Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Denish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Riyan Parag (vice-captain), Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Mukhtar Hussain, and Mohammed Shami

Ishan Kishan again started to make headlines after the injury of Rishabh Pant at Old Trafford. A video of Ishan has recently attracted cricket fans.

In this video, the Indian cricketer was spotted as a bowler. Ishan did some spin bowling with his county cricket team, Nottinghamshire, but in an entertaining way. He delivered all 6 deliveries with 6 different actions. Another interesting thing from his bowling is that, despite using different bowling actions, Kishan was mostly right on his line and length, on the line of the stumps, except for the last delivery of the over, which went far wide off the off stump.

The video is an old one from Ishan Kishan's recent endeavors with Nottinghamshire. After participating in IPL 2025 with Sunrisers Hyderabad, the keeper-batter flew to the United Kingdom to play in County Cricket with Nottinghamshire.

Watch the bowling here

Ishan Kishan having different actions for each delivery. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/LJbKvdXKkM

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 27, 2025

Read More: WATCH: Matt Henry's last over brilliance seals Tri-Series Final win for New Zealand over South Africa

Ishan probably had a chance to make a comeback in Team India 

The 27-year-old did well enough with the English club. In two matches, he scored back-to-back half centuries—87 vs. Yorkshire and 77 vs. Somerset. In the match against Somerset, Ishan displayed his bowling skills. That game was on June 29, 2025, now almost a month ago. 

In some recent developments, Ishan Kishan could get a chance to go back in the Team India squad because of Rishabh Pant's injury. Some media reports suggested that the board had inquired about Ishan's current status. But he was not available then. As per the latest updates, Ishan Kishan now struggles with injury, and he can take some time to recover fully. Ishan last played for India in November of 2023, in a T20I against Australia, and has the experience of two Test matches—against the West Indies earlier that year.

Rishabh Pant again went off the ground for injury threats. A quick delivery from Chris Woakes struck right on his boot while he was batting on Day 1 of the England vs. India 4th Test (ENG vs IND Test) at Old Trafford, Manchester. In back-to-back matches, the keeper batter received blows, which definitely caused worries for the think tank.

India, already in a crucial situation and engaged with multiple injuries, can be forced to think about a replacement of Pant in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar trophy. There are multiple players, waiting for their turns to shine in India colors. Through this article, we'll try to find 3 players who have the potential to replace the middle-order batsman. 

3 players who have the potential to replace Pant:

Sarfaraz Khan

The highly talented batter has all the potential to maintain a position in the starting XI. Before the series, he was in England and played a match for the India 'A' team against the England Lions. In that match, the right-handed batsman scored a brilliant 92-run innings. Against New Zealand, he got a 150-run knock. In recent times, the Mumbai-born has been working hard on his fitness to evolve more as a cricketer in the modern era. 

Read More: ENG vs IND 4th Test Day 1: Highlights and Key Factors

Ishan Kishan

Rishabh Pant is not only the vice captain of Team India's Test setup but also the keeper batter. So, if the team management wants to go for a like-for-like substitute, then there is no better than Ishan Kishan. He can keep and he can bat with aggression. Pant's aggressive nature of batting always provides the team the X-factor. Ishan has the potential to do almost the same in the middle of the park. After playing multiple promising innings in the IPL 2025, the Bihar-born was impressive in this season's County Cricket with Nottinghamshire. The southpaw played 87- and 77-run innings for the English team. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad

Another well-known talent who hasn't got a Test cap. Ruturaj Gaikwad remained as an underrated talent, playing for India in limited-over formats but yet to get a call to represent his country in the Whites. If the Indian team management wants to put someone in the squad who can add value with calm and composed batting, then Gaikwad can be the man. 

Team India has been dealt a big blow in the ongoing Test series against England. Star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out for six weeks after hurting his toe on Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Pant was looking solid at the crease and had reached 37 runs when the injury happened. In the 68th over, he went for a reverse sweep against Chris Woakes but missed the shot. The ball hit his right toe after a small inside edge. Pant was clearly in pain and had to walk off the field while limping. He didn’t return to bat after that and was marked as ‘retired hurt’.

Rishabh Pant Ruled Out for Six Weeks After Painful Toe Injury

After medical scans, it was confirmed that Pant had a fracture in his toe. The team doctors were hoping he might return to bat after taking painkillers, but right now, he can’t even walk properly without help. So, the chances of him batting again in this match are almost zero.

🚨 ISHAN KISHAN FOR 5TH TEST Vs ENGLAND 🚨

- Ishan Kishan is likely to be added in Team India's Squad for 5th Test Vs England. (Express Sports). pic.twitter.com/4LaMMegBl2

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) July 24, 2025

With India already struggling due to injuries, this is another major setback. They are down to just 10 fully fit players in this Test. In response, the selectors have called Ishan Kishan as a standby player for the fifth and final Test, which will be played at The Oval from July 31 to August 4. Kishan has been playing in England recently in county cricket, so he’s already familiar with the conditions.

ALSO READ: Breaking News!! Rishabh Pant’s latest injury update revealed for ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

A BCCI official told The Indian Express, “The scans confirmed a fracture, and Pant has been ruled out for six weeks. He still needs help to walk, so it’s very unlikely he’ll come back to bat.” Pant’s injury comes at a tough time for India and will definitely affect their plans for the rest of the series.