Indian wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan will miss the upcoming Test series against South Africa due to undisclosed personal reasons. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not revealed the exact cause of Ishan’s absence, and in response, has named KS Bharat as his replacement.
Ishan has not played for the Indian team since the conclusion of the 2023 ODI World Cup, where Australia emerged victorious. On the other hand, KS Bharat last represented India in a Test match against Australia in June of this year, and was initially not part of the BCCI’s plans for the Test series against South Africa.
Bharat may not be the preferred choice as wicket-keeper for India in the Test series, as reports suggest that KL Rahul could be given a chance in that position. Since Rishabh Pant is still out, the odds are in favor of Rahul being tested as a wicket-keeper in all three formats.
The BCCI said: “Mr Ishan Kishan has requested the BCCI to be released from the upcoming Test series against South Africa citing personal reasons. The wicket-keeper has subsequently been withdrawn from the Test squad. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Mr KS Bharat as a replacement.”
It will be interesting to see how the BCCI manages Rahul’s workload if he becomes a full-time wicket-keeper in all three formats. The squad for Tests includes Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, and KS Bharat (wk).