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Ishan Kishan has criticized Rahul Dravid and the team management for his exclusion from the Indian team despite his consistent scoring. He faced additional scrutiny after opting not to play Ranji Trophy matches for Jharkhand, focusing instead on fitness and IPL 2024 preparations, which led to his removal from the BCCI’s annual central contracts list.
Ishan Kishan holds Rahul Dravid responsible for his removal from the Indian team.
During an interview with The Indian Express, Ishan Kishan expressed frustration over being dropped from the team despite his run-scoring performances. He attributed his removal from the Playing XI to Rahul Dravid, India’s head coach at the time. Kishan also highlighted the personal reasons behind his decision to take a break, emphasizing that only his family understood his situation.
“I was scoring runs and then I found myself on the bench. These things do happen in a team sport. But I experienced travel fatigue. It meant there was something wrong, I was not feeling well or right and so I decided to take a break. However, sadly, barring my family and few close people no one understood that,” Kishan said.
“My family members were very supportive” – Ishan Kishan
The left-hander emphasized that his family’s unwavering support was instrumental in keeping him motivated during challenging times, noting they never questioned his decisions.
“A sportsperson can deal with what people on the outside are saying. What stresses you out is how your parents are taking it. How they are dealing with it. When you get to know that they are equally affected, it hurts you, and kills you from inside,” Kishan said.
“But at that point in time, my family members were very supportive. They backed me and my decisions. They understood that I was not feeling well. They understood my situation. They never questioned it but they rallied around me and never left me alone,” he added.
After his last appearance for India in November 2023 against Australia in a T20I following the ODI World Cup 2023 final, Ishan Kishan resumed professional cricket in IPL 2024 with Mumbai Indians. However, he endured a challenging season, scoring 320 runs in 14 matches at an average of 22.85 and a strike rate of 148.83, managing just one half-century throughout the season. His team, Mumbai Indians, had one of its worst seasons in IPL history, finishing last in the points table.
