Irani Cup: Dhruv Jurel dashes the return of Ishan Kishan in ICT

Batting in the Irani Cup for the Rest of India on Day 4, Dhruv Jurel crushed whatever was left of Ishan Kishan’s dream to return to ICT. Ishan Kishan lost his favour with the BCCI when he failed to turn up for domestic tournaments earlier this year. The wicket-keeper batter opted out of the India vs South Africa series and subsequently ignored the board’s reminder to return to domestic cricket. Consequently, BCCI excluded Kishan from the board’s central contract earlier this year. While Kishan has made an impressive return to red-ball cricket with centuries in Buchi Babu and Duleep Trophy, the board looks apprehensive to try Kishan in the team again. With the tussle still going on, Jurel’s latest knock at Irani Cup can waver BCCI’s attention away from Kishan.

Dhruv Jurel impresses at Irani Cup, likely to win a selection in India squad ahead of Ishan Kishan

Dhruv Jurel made it into the India squad in the absence of Rishabh Pant who was recovering from injuries. Moreover, Kishan’s earlier act of opting out of playing didn’t sit right with the board, making the path clear for Jurel to enter the setup. As Rishabh Pant returned to the squad for the India vs Bangladesh Test series earlier this month, Jurel was kept intact in the 15-member squad. However, with Ishan Kishan scripting a swift comeback in red-ball cricket, the race for grabbing the position of a backup wicket-keeper batter in the team intesified.

However, with the BCCI overlooking Kishan for the India vs Bangladesh T20I series despite the absence of the likes of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, things don’t seem to have changed much for Kishan. Moreover, reaping the benefit of the doubt on the board’s part, Jurel who was released early from the India squad during the second Bangladesh Test to play in the Irani Cup, came up with a noteworthy knock for the down under Rest of India side.

Coming into bat on Day 4 in the first innings for Rest of India, the 23-year-old played a crucial innings, scoring 93 off 121 balls. The batter’s knock, moreover, featured 13 boundaries with a maximum hit. Completing the knock of the centurion of the team, Jurel forged a 165-run partnership with Abhimanyu Easwaran, who made an impressive 191, helping Rest of India post a total of 416.

With the BCCI yet to announce the India squad for the New Zealand Tour of India, Dhruv Jurel appears to be the frontrunner to earn a place in the squad. As for Kishan, the 26-year-old needs to continue his exploits in domestic cricket consistently for the BCCI to take notice and instil trust in the flamboyant wicket-keeper again.