"He played the World Cup" - Aakash Chopra on wicketkeeper-batter no longer being considered for India

Former India player Aakash Chopra has noted that Ishan Kishan isn't being considered for a spot in the Men in Blue's limited-overs sides despite having played two World Cups. He pointed out that the Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter was part of India's 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup squads but has fallen out of favor lately.

Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel are the two wicketkeeper-batters in India's squad for the ongoing T20I series against England. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are the glovemen picked for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England and the subsequent Champions Trophy 2025.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener reflected on a social media post questioning why Kishan was not being considered for the white-ball formats.

"It's interesting that we have forgotten Ishan Kishan so quickly that we are not remembering him again. He played the World Cup. He first played the T20 World Cup in Dubai and then was a part of the 2023 ODI World Cup team. He has scored a double century in ODIs," he said (12:40).

Chopra opined that Kishan made the mistake of ignoring the Ranji Trophy last year.

"He made one mistake. It was a clear message that he didn't want to play first-class cricket. The selectors didn't like it, which is absolutely fine. The BCCI didn't like it and they said a rap on the knuckles is important. So he was asked to go and play, or else he won't be selected," he observed.

While opining that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was right in punishing the 26-year-old, the cricketer-turned-commentator added that the youngster was not being picked despite playing domestic cricket.

"I can totally get it as he is a young player and if he refuses to play first-class because he doesn't wish to, you need to punish him somehow. So that's okay but now it is past. The kid has played everywhere but his name is not coming anywhere," Chopra noted.

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were admonished and denied BCCI contracts because they skipped domestic games. Although Shreyas has returned to the national side, Kishan doesn't seem to be in the selectors' thoughts.

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"Another truth about Indian cricket is that you have to stand behind in the line" - Aakash Chopra on Ishan Kishan going down in the pecking order

Ishan Kishan has scored 796 runs at a strike rate of 124.37 in 32 T20Is. [Getty]

Aakash Chopra opined that Ishan Kishan had gone down the pecking order for wicketkeeper-batters. However, he questioned why Jitesh Sharma wasn't picked for the ongoing T20I series against England.

"Another truth about Indian cricket is that you have to stand behind in the line, and at times you don't understand how that line is progressing. Jitesh Sharma might also be thinking that he went to South Africa, didn't play, and only carried drinks. So why wasn't he selected when they needed a second wicketkeeper and middle-order batter here?" Chopra said (13:25) in the same video.

While observing that Dhruv Jurel hadn't been utilized effectively against England, the analyst added that Kishan might need a 'phenomenal' IPL season to return to the Indian setup.

"Dhruv Jurel was picked because of promise and potential. However, if he has promise and potential, send him up the order. Ishan Kishan will have to wait. His number will not come at the moment. A phenomenal IPL is what is needed," Chopra added.

Ishan Kishan was acquired by the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the IPL 2025 auction. He might not get to bat at the top of the order for SRH as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma will likely be the franchise's preferred openers.