September 4, 2024

Ishan Kishan Doubtful for Duleep Trophy Opener

Ishan Kishan might not play in the Duleep Trophy 2024 match starting in Anantapur on Thursday (September 5). Kishan, who is part of Team D led by Shreyas Iyer, may be sidelined due to a possible injury, though the exact reason for his likely withdrawal is not clear.

Sanju Samson, who was initially left out of the announced teams, is expected to replace Kishan. It is currently uncertain if Kishan will participate in later stages of the tournament, especially with the Indian team selection for the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh also being a factor. Team D’s next match after the opener is against Team A on September 12 in Anantapur.

Kishan recently played for Jharkhand in the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai but was limited to just two matches as his team did not advance past the league stage. Jharkhand won one game and lost the other, leading to their elimination.

In the second match at India Cements Ground in Shankar Nagar, Chennai, Ishan Kishan struggled, scoring only 1 run off 11 balls and 5 runs off 22 deliveries in the two innings before his team was eliminated. In the first match, however, he performed well, scoring a century (114 runs) in the first innings and remaining unbeaten on 41 in the second.

Kishan’s Disciplinary Issues and Uncertain Future in National Selection

Last season, Kishan faced disciplinary action from the national selectors after skipping several Ranji Trophy games, despite instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to participate. The BCCI had informed him that his chances for national selection would be affected unless he played for his state team.

Although Kishan participated in the Buchi Babu tournament this year, the event is not recognized as a national competition, so it remains unclear if this fulfills the BCCI’s requirements. His inclusion in the Duleep Trophy may indicate that the selectors were beginning to soften their stance, but his potential last-minute withdrawal raises questions about how they will respond.

Kishan might join Suryakumar Yadav in missing the multi-day red-ball competition. Yadav, the India T20I captain, suffered a hand injury during the Buchi Babu tournament and is reportedly receiving treatment at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Additionally, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj have already been withdrawn from the competition for other reasons.

Meanwhile, Ajay Ratra, newly appointed as a selector by the BCCI, will begin his duties immediately, overseeing the Duleep Trophy matches in Anantapur. A couple of other selectors will join him there, while two more will be in Bengaluru for the Team A vs. Team B game. The entire five-member selection committee will later convene in Anantapur for the rest of the tournament.

Scotland Eager for Revenge in Australia Rematch

The T20I series in Edinburgh marks the first bilateral meeting between Scotland and Australia since 2013. Scotland came close to upsetting Australia at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, nearly knocking England out of the tournament. With that near-victory fresh in their minds, Scotland is confident they can go even further in the upcoming three-match ODI series in Edinburgh.

In the World Cup match, Brandon McMullen’s quickfire 60 off 34 balls had put Scotland in a strong position, with Australia needing 87 runs from 39 balls—a realistic chance for an upset. However, Marcus Stoinis turned the game in Australia’s favor. Scotland had also been 90 for 0 against England when rain forced the match to be abandoned, highlighting the narrow margin between advancing to the Super Eight and being eliminated.

Now, with three games in four days on home turf, and facing an Australian side with some less experienced players, Scotland sees a real opportunity to secure their first victory over Australia—and they aren’t just aiming for one win.

“I think we’re after a little bit of blood this week, and not just win a game but win the series”, left-arm spinner Mark Watt told the Cricket Scotland website. “We can definitely take inspiration from that game in St Lucia, but we also have a little bit of a point to prove, as we all believe we should have won that game and kicked on further in the World Cup. We can say we got close, but actually in the back of our heads we’re disappointed that we didn’t win.”

All 15 players who competed in the T20 World Cup are included in the squad for this series. However, there’s one new addition for the Australians: pace bowler Charlie Cassell. He made a stunning entrance to international cricket by taking 7 for 21 against Oman on his ODI debut, setting the best figures for a debutant.

Scotland Eyes Victory and More Opportunities Against Top Teams

“It’s a great opportunity for them to share the field with world-class players,” Scotland head coach Doug Watson said when the squad was announced. “They’re wanting to put in some huge performances and compete, and really push this Australia team. The goal for us is to win this series. The first game is really important – if we can win that, it’ll set up the next two matches.”

Scotland is hosting Australia in this series after Ireland, originally scheduled to do so, had to withdraw due to financial constraints. The last time Australia played a bilateral match against Scotland was in 2013, when Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh put together a 246-run opening partnership. Richie Berrington, now Scotland’s captain, was part of the team in that match.

In 2018, Scotland achieved one of their greatest victories, defeating England by six runs in Edinburgh. However, opportunities to play against top teams outside of major tournaments are rare for Scotland, and they are eager for more chances like this.

“It is frustrating we don’t get the opportunities to play the big boys, so to speak,” Michael Leask told BBC Scotland. “Even the likes of Bangladesh and West Indies, we don’t get opportunities to play against them. And we would take any opportunity, because the more high quality cricket we get, the better we get.

“We would love them to come and play us more often but we understand sometimes it is not feasible. We want any fixture we can get against the big boys, but they have got a heavy schedule. This is our opportunity. It would be nice if the higher associates got more exposure. We punch above our weight a lot of the time and that is down to the quality of the group we’ve got.”