India’s star batter Ishan Kishan has experienced a tumultuous year with the national team. Once a key figure in India’s ODI World Cup squad for 2023, Kishan has seen his place in the team diminish significantly. His prospects of rejoining the side appear increasingly slim with each passing series. The situation worsened when Kishan decided to withdraw from the South Africa tour last year, citing travel fatigue.

This move did not sit well with the BCCI management, leading to his exclusion from the central contract list and a notable drop from the team’s plans. The Indian team is currently navigating a period of transition following the retirements of prominent players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja from T20Is.

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Adding to Kishan’s woes, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has publicly criticized him. On his YouTube channel, Ali suggested that Kishan’s focus on fashion rather than cricket may have contributed to his decline in the team’s hierarchy. “Ishan Kishan has fallen down the pecking order. He too got into fashion a bit,” Basit Ali commented, reflecting his view that Kishan’s off-field interests might be affecting his performance.

In a broader critique, Basit Ali also expressed frustration with Sri Lanka’s recent cricketing performances, particularly in the first two T20Is against India. He lamented that Sri Lanka’s struggles have led them to miss out on qualifying for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Basit Ali criticized the Sri Lankan team for their lackluster showings, suggesting that their focus on maintaining relationships rather than improving performance contributed to their downfall.

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“Sri Lanka deserved not to qualify for the Champions Trophy. It seems as if they are more concerned about maintaining friendships, much like we have seen in the Pakistan team. In my opinion, their women’s team has performed better. The men’s team should take lessons from the women’s team on how to maintain belief and improve,” Basit Ali added.