Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja has expressed his frustration over the exclusion of Ishan Kishan from the playing XI for the last two T20Is against Australia. Jadeja believes that Kishan is a match-winner and should have been given more opportunities to prove his worth.
Kishan was expected to play a key role in the series, especially in the absence of the senior players. However, he was sidelined following the return of Shreyas Iyer. Jadeja questioned this decision, stating that Kishan should have been given a chance in the last two matches.
Ajay Jadeja also pointed out that Kishan was not given enough opportunities in the recently concluded ODI World Cup and deserves more chances to showcase his talent. He questioned how long Kishan will be on trial and when he will finally become a regular member of the Indian team.
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“There was a series right after the World Cup. Ishan Kishan played three matches and went home. Was he really that tired after three matches that he needed rest? He didn’t even play a lot of games at the World Cup. He deserved his spot in the playing XI for the first few World Cup matches. How many Indian players have scored a double-century on a good day?” Ajay Jadeja said.
“He can change the game on his day. When will he get ready? Will you keep him in on trial all the time? In the last two years, how many games has he played? This problem of Indian cricket is not of today, it is very old that we don’t select (players) but reject them,” Ajay Jadeja added.
Kishan had a promising start to the series, scoring 58 runs off 39 deliveries in Visakhapatnam and a half-century in Thiruvananthapuram. However, he failed to get going in the T20I at Guwahati, leading to his exclusion from the team.
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Despite being dropped for the final two matches against Australia, Kishan has been called up for the upcoming series against South Africa. This suggests that the selectors still have faith in his abilities and are willing to give him more opportunities.
