Ishan has not played for the Indian team since the conclusion of the ODI World Cup 2023.
India's wicket-keeper batter, Ishan Kishan, will be absent from the upcoming Test series against South Africa due to personal reasons. The exact cause for Ishan's absence has not been disclosed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). In light of this, the BCCI has announced KS Bharat as his replacement.
Ishan has not played for the Indian team since the conclusion of the ODI World Cup in 2023, where Australia emerged victorious in the final match.
On the other hand, KS Bharat last represented India in a Test match against Australia in June of this year. He had initially made his Test debut against the same team in February. Although Bharat was not initially part of the BCCI's plans for the Test series against South Africa, he was called upon following Ishan's request.
In a release, the BCCI said: "Mr 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 The wicket-keeper has subsequently been withdrawn from the Test squad.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 Mr KS Bharat as a replacement."
Bharat may not be the preferred choice as wicket-keeper for India in the Test series against South Africa, as reports suggest that KL Rahul could be given a chance in that position. Rahul has proven to be a valuable option as a wicket-keeper in both T20Is and ODIs.
Since Rishabh Pant is still a long way from returning, the odds are in favor of Rahul being tested as a wicket-keeper in all three formats. However, it is important to note that wicket-keeping in Tests is much more challenging compared to ODIs and T20Is. It will be intriguing to see how the BCCI manages Rahul's workload if he becomes a full-time wicket-keeper in all three formats.
India's squad for Tests: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk)
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