New Delhi: Former India opener turned analyst Aakash Chopra slammed out-of-Indian side Ishan Kishan in his latest YouTube video, where he urged the selectors to not bring in players to the Indian side if they refuse to feature in the Ranji Trophy.
Ishan Kishan has been out of the Indian side since the South Africa tour and as per reports, he was unhappy with Jitesh Sharma’s selection into the side. Further, the management asked him to play Ranji Trophy and get back to form. However, Ishan ignored the advice and was spotted training with Hardik Pandya in Baroda.
The board is unhappy with Kishan and sent him an email ordering him to play in the next round of the Ranji Trophy starting on February 16. Meanwhile, Chopra slammed Ishan and cited the example of former cricketers, who even travelled to Vijwada in Andhra Pradesh to feature in the Duleep Trophy.
“Youngsters are not playing as they believe their names are already in the IPL. This can lead to disinterest in domestic cricket. Remember, players like Pujara and Rahane still play for the national team despite not playing in the IPL.”
“If there is a first-class cricket match happening and you are fit and not a part of the Indian cricket team, then you should go and play. If someone thinks they will return without participating, a clear message needs to be sent that they will only be considered for selection when they play in the matches,” Chopra added.
“If you feel you will only play the IPL and play all cricket based on that, I am expecting the selection committee under Ajit Agarkar’s leadership to put that line in the sand, that it’s not going to happen. If this is being imposed, please do it even more,” he elaborated.
Chopra further cited Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah as exceptions as he urged the board to manage their workload management.
“If you are managing the workload of players like Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, or if you have given them a break for personal reasons, or if first-class cricket is not happening, then they may be exceptions. However, if first-class cricket is happening and none of these scenarios apply, players should go and play.”