Ishan Kishan all set to make his domestic cricket return for Jharkhand through the Buchi Babu tournament 

Wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan will make his return to the domestic circuit by representing Jharkhand in the upcoming Buchi Babu tournament in a bid to make a comeback into the national team and earn a central contract. The former U-19 World Cup skipper was banished from the list by the BCCI after refusing to partake in the previous domestic season.

According to previous reports, Kishan had made himself available for selection for the domestic season. He informed Jharkhand cricket of the same, and his name was included in the pre-season probable list as well.

The Buchi Babu tournament is an excellent opportunity to test himself ahead of the domestic season. His selection for the national team as of now looks bleak with the wicket-keeping position sealed across formats, following Rishabh Pant's return and Dhruv Jurel's emergence.

“Yes, Ishan Kishan is going to play for Jharkhand in the Buchi Babu tournament. It is a prestigious tournament where all top red-ball teams come and play. The conditions are challenging and it’s the right way to prepare yourself for the long domestic grind ahead,” a source aware of the development told News 18.

The 2024 Buchi Babu tournament is slated to begin from August 15 onwards in Chennai.

Ishan Kishan's last involvement with Team India was during the South Africa tour in late 2023

After being included in the 2023 ODI World Cup squad, and even playing a handful of matches in Shubman Gill's absence, Ishan Kishan retained his place for the tour of South Africa. However, he returned home midway through the tour citing 'mental fatigue'.

For the subsequent tours, he could not walk his way back into the team, as the team management asked him to play domestic cricket first. His refusal to heed the request led to his axing from the central contract list and the team looking for new wicket-keeper batters.

He eventually turned up to play the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season for the Mumbai Indians (MI) and had a decent campaign as the franchise finished last on the points table.

The BCCI has made it mandatory for players not in the first-team squad, and not on th injury list, to partake in the domestic competitions to be eligible for selection.