Reports suggest that Ishan Kishan may soon make his return to the Indian T20 International side amid a series against Bangladesh. Kishan is part of the Rest of India squad, which recently drew attention as he was not given a central contract last season due to ignoring the BCCI's request to participate in domestic cricket.
As the team prepares for the second Test against Bangladesh, which commences on September 27 in Kanpur, several players, including middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan, wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, and pacer Yash Dayal, could be released to compete in the Irani Cup if they are not included in the playing XI for the Test. The Rest of India squad, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will face reigning Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in Lucknow from October 1-5. The BCCI confirmed that the participation of Jurel and Dayal in the Rest of India squad is contingent on their not being involved in the Test match.
Sources indicate that if wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant encounters any issues during the Test, KL Rahul will step in as his replacement. Additionally, Sarfaraz Khan, a prolific scorer for Mumbai, is expected to join his home side under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy if he does not make the Test team.
The upcoming Irani Cup will also see the return of Mumbai all-rounder Shardul Thakur to first-class cricket following his surgery. Notable players including Shreyas Iyer, Musheer Khan, Shams Mulani, and Tanush Kotian are anticipated to participate for Mumbai. However, Suryakumar Yadav, who captains the T20 side, and all-rounder Shivam Dube will miss the Irani Cup as they must report to Gwalior on October 3 for the T20I series starting October 6.
Kishan, who recently scored a century in the Duleep Trophy, has demonstrated his commitment to domestic cricket. If Jurel takes the field for the Rest of India, Kishan may find himself as the second wicketkeeper, alongside Sanju Samson, for the upcoming T20 series against Bangladesh. Notably, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh are absent from the Rest of India squad as they are expected to be selected for the T20Is, along with Suryakumar and Dube.
Rest of India squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran (v-c), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk)*, Ishan Kishan (wk), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar.
Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan*, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhesh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore (wk), Sidhaant Addhatrao (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohammad Juned Khan, Royston Dias.