Ishaan will not play the Test against South Africa: Returned to India due to family reasons

Ishaan will not play the Test against South Africa: Returned to India due to family reasons

Ishan Kishan made his Test debut in West Indies in July this year.

Wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan has withdrawn his name from the Test series against South Africa. Due to personal reasons, he sought permission from BCCI to stay in India, which was approved by BCCI.

KS Bharat will now be a part of the squad in place of Ishaan. Apart from Bharat, KL Rahul is the other wicketkeeper in the squad. Before Ishaan, fast bowler Mohammed Shami was out of the Test series due to injury.

Ishaan will return to India soon

Ishan Kishan was part of the T-20 squad in South Africa. The 3-match series was drawn 1-1, one match was inconclusive. However, Kishan did not get a chance to play even a single T-20. He is not part of the ODI squad, and the Test series is set to begin on December 26. Therefore, Ishaan will soon leave for India from South Africa.

Ishaan has debuted in the West Indies

Ishan Kishan made his Test debut in West Indies in July this year. He scored a total of 78 runs including one fifty in 2 Tests against West Indies. KL Rahul is a part of the Test squad, so it was difficult for him to get a chance. Apart from Test, Ishaan has also played 27 ODIs and 32 T20s for India.

Shami was out due to not clearing the fitness test

Mohammed Shami, who took the maximum 24 wickets in the ODI World Cup, has also been out of the Test series. He has an ankle injury and is undergoing treatment since the World Cup. All the players of the squad reached South Africa on 15 December for the Test series, Shami was not included in them. He could not pass the fitness test, so he was dropped from the squad.

In Shami's absence, Prasidh Krishna may get a chance to make his Test debut. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj will be the remaining 2 pacers in the first test. If the pitch is helpful for fast bowlers then Shardul Thakur can also be the fourth pacer.

India will play 2 matches in the test series

Currently, a 3-match ODI series is being played between India and South Africa. By winning the first ODI, Team India has taken a 1-0 lead in the series. The second and third ODIs will be played on 19 and 21 December. The first match of the Test series will be played from 26 to 30 December, the second Test will be played from 3 to 7 January in 2024.