Ishan Kishan made an impressive return to red-ball cricket during the ongoing Buchi Babu Invitation Cricket Tournament 2024. Representing Jharkhand against Madhya Pradesh at the India Cements Limited Cricket Ground in Sankar Nagar, the 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batter displayed no signs of rustiness, taking three remarkable catches.
Kishan’s last red-ball match was back in July 2023 against West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. However, he quickly got back into the groove in his latest outing. On the opening day’s play, Kishan’s sharp reflexes were on display, especially in the 15th over when he bent low to his left to pouch an edge from Chanchal Rathore, handing Vivekanand Tiwary his first wicket.
Kishan’s presence behind the stumps proved crucial once again when he took a difficult catch off Aditya Singh to dismiss the dangerous Shubham S Kushwah. Kushwah, who had scored 84 runs off 171 balls, tried a square cut but only managed an edge. Although Kishan initially fumbled, he showed great presence of mind to grab the rebound. He capped off the day with an extraordinary full-stretch catch down the leg side to dismiss Ramveer Gurjar, diving to his left to take a feathered edge.
Thanks to Kishan’s contributions, Madhya Pradesh ended the day at 225 for eight in 89.5 overs. Shubham Singh, Saurabh Shekhar, Vivekanand Tiwary, and Aditya Singh all took two wickets each.
Kishan’s return to form is significant, given that he was left out of the BCCI central contract earlier this year alongside Shreyas Iyer due to missing most of the domestic season. The decision came despite directives from the board and secretary Jay Shah. Kishan last played for India in the T20I series against Australia in November 2023, though he featured in the IPL for Mumbai Indians this year.
Kishan’s performance in this tournament could mark a crucial step in regaining his place in India’s red-ball setup.