On his return to red-ball cricket, Jharkhand skipper Ishan Kishan dazzled in a Buchi Babu fixture against Madhya Pradesh. After scoring a 107-ball 114 in the first innings, Kishan remained unbeaten on 41 in the second, helping Jharkhand meat Madhya Pradesh by two wickets. Jharkhand needed 12 runs to win with two wickets remainining, and Kishan took the onus to guide his team to a win, smashing two sixes off Akash Rajawat in the 55th over of Jharkhand’s second innings.
A video of Kishan hitting the match-winning six has gone viral on social media.
Ishan Kishan – the hero of Jharkhand !!!
– Jharkhand needed 12 with 2 wickets in hands, captain smashed 6,0,6 to seal the game. pic.twitter.com/3uTqFF1KI2
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 18, 2024
Earlier in the first innings, Kishan smashed an 86-ball century on his way to a 107-ball 114.
Kishan, who was not part of Jharkhand’s original long list, took the decision to participate, and he was drafted in when he communicated this to the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA), according to an ESPNcricinfo report.
The report further stated that Kishan’s return to the Ranji Trophy fold is also expected during the 2024-25 season, after he informed the state selectors of his desire to return.
His last domestic first-class game was in December 2022. He stayed away from the Ranji Trophy towards the end of the 2023-24 domestic season, and this proved costly for him, as he was removed from the central contract list for not prioritising domestic cricket.
“With Ishan, it was never about ability. It was only about whether he was ready to return. The decision was with him. When he was not included in the initial list, it was only because we hadn’t heard from him. The moment he expressed his keenness to return, he was drafted in,” a JSCA functionary was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The 26-year-old made his Test debut during India’s West Indies tour in 2023, filling in for an injured Rishabh Pant. His last first-class game was the second Test of that tour. Though selected for the South Africa series, he opted out due to mental fatigue.
Kishan has featured in two Tests, 17 ODIs and 11 T20Is in 2023. He was also part of India’s squad during their run to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, and featured in two matches at the top of the order when Shubman Gill was out ill.
Buchi Babu tournament, which was revived last year after a gap of six years, is being conducted in the four-day red-ball format, akin to the procedure followed in league stages of Ranji Trophy.
It then serves as vital preparation for the 12 participating teams ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 domestic season.
(With IANS Inputs)
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