Ishan Kishan withdraws from SA Tests; KS Bharat roped in
What's the story
India's wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan has withdrawn from India's Test squad ahead of the upcoming two-match series against South Africa. The youngster will fly back home due to personal reasons.
KS Bharat has been named his replacement for the series. The India A skipper, who is already in South Africa, has been included in the main team.
Here are further details.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Kishan was all set to feature for India in the two-match Test series against the Proteas. But now, with him moving out, it remains to be seen who gets the preference as the wicket-keeper.
It will be interesting to see if KL Rahul will be trusted with the wicket-keeper's gloves in the longest format. India may turn to Bharat if they are unsure.
BCCI
BCCI released a statement regarding Kishan's withdrawal
"Ishan Kishan has requested the BCCI to be released from the upcoming Test series against South Africa citing personal reasons. The wicket-keeper has subsequently been withdrawn from the Test squad. The men's selection committee has named KS Bharat as a replacement," the BCCI said in a statement released following his withdrawal.
Bharat was leading the India A team in South Africa.
Kishan
Kishan made his Test debut against West Indies
Kishan made his Test debut earlier this year against West Indies as the Indian team management turned toward the southpaw.
He featured in two matches, scoring 78 runs. Kishan slammed his highest score of 52* against the Windies in his short Test career.
Overall, the 25-year-old owns 3,063 runs in 50 First Class matches at an average of 39.26 (50s: 17, 100s: 6).
KS Bharat
KS Bharat has failed to impress so far
Bharat, who was deemed as injured Rishabh Pant's interim replacement in Test cricket, made his debut against Australia in February 2023.
He returned with only 129 runs from the five Tests at a paltry average of 18.42. He failed to score a single fifty-plus score in those five matches.
Bharat's wicket-keeping was also average. He was found struggling on several occasions.
Information
A look at India's squad for South Africa Test series
India's squad for the South Africa Test series: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Prasidh Krishna, and KS Bharat (wicket-keeper).