He might not be a part of India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, but batsman Ishan Kishan is confident of making a comeback in the team. The young stump was missing from the 15-man squad announced for the competition earlier this week. Rohit Sharma-led India opened their campaign on August 28 with a thrilling clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Ishan’s last match in the 20-over format was against West Indies where he scored 11 off 13 deliveries. He has put up a consistent show with the bat so far in 2022 and is India’s second highest run-scorer in T20 cricket with 430 runs at an average of 30.71. The left-handed batsman has three half-centuries with an individual best of 89. The 24-year-old said the Asia Cup defeat will force him to work hard and score more runs. Despite the omission, she remains “positive”, which came as a surprise to many fans.
“I feel what the selectors are doing is fair. They have put a lot of thought into who and where they should get the opportunity when selecting the players. It is positive for me because if I am not selected I will work harder and score more.” If the selectors have faith in me, they will obviously keep me in the team,” said Ishan.
Bought for a whopping ₹15.5 crore in the IPL mega auction earlier this year, Ishan had an average season with Mumbai Indians. He scored 418 runs in 14 innings at an average of 32.15, including three half-centuries, even as the five-time IPL champions finished bottom of the points table.While Ishan was left out of the Asia Cup squad, KL Rahul came in after a long layoff due to injury. The batter has been missing competitive cricket since the IPL edition in May. Rahul underwent hernia surgery and was due to play in the West Indies. However, he was excluded from the series after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Asia Cup will also see the return of Virat Kohli after a short break while Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the competition due to a back injury. Harshal Patel will also miss the continental tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). India, Pakistan and a qualifier will face Group A in the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are in Group B. The first and second-placed teams from each group qualify for the Super 4 series, a round that will determine the two sides to meet in the final on 11 September.
