BCCI set to issue critical 'Ranji Trophy' notice amid Ishan Kishan's continued absence: 'Some are already in IPL mode'

Over the past few weeks, there have been significant speculations over the places of certain players in Team India's squad; one of them, Ishan Kishan, has drawn considerable attention. Ishan has been away from action since November last year and withdrew from the South Africa tour mid-way next month, reportedly citing mental fatigue.

Last week, India head coach Rahul Dravid was visually displeased with repeated questions over Ishan Kishan's unavailability, stating that the player needs to play some cricket before returning to the national fold. A few days later, a report revealed Ishan has returned to training alongside the Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal – in Baroda.

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Interestingly, the young wicketkeeper-batter didn't make himself available for selection for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan had reacted to the development on his official Twitter profile earlier this week, stating he was “perplexed" with the player's unavailability, and it seems the board has also taken cognizance of the matter.

According to a report from the Times of India, the BCCI is set to issue a notice for all players to take part in the Ranji Trophy if they aren't “injured.” The newspaper's source further mentioned that some players are in “IPL mode” already, which isn't appreciated by the board.

“In the next few days, all the players will be communicated by the BCCI to play for their state team in the Ranji Trophy, as long as they are not on national duty, with only those who are unfit and recovering at the NCA being granted an exemption. The Board isn't too happy with certain players already in IPL mode from January,” the source told TOI.

Unlike Ishan, Hardik is currently undergoing recovery after facing an injury during a 2023 World Cup match against Bangladesh. He is expected to return in the Indian Premier League, where he will captain the Mumbai Indians.

India are currently taking part in a five-match Test series against England, which will be the national team's last assignment before the T20 World Cup in June. Earlier this week, the board announced the squad for the remaining three Tests of the series, which saw the continued absence of Virat Kohli (personal reasons); however, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja made a return to the squad after injury absences in the second Test.