Image Source: Twitter/ Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer
Ishan Kishan and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer were the two notable absentees in India's 16-man squad for upcoming India vs Afghanistan series, starting January 11.
Both Ishan and Shreyas were unexpectedly left out of the team, which caused a stir on social media. This came after Ishan missed two South Africa Tests for personal reasons, while Shreyas struggled with only 41 runs in four innings.
A recent report in Bengali newspaper Anandabazar Patrika has now claimed that Ishan and Shreyas were excluded from Afghanistan T20Is on disciplinary grounds.The report stated that selectors were quite miffed with Ishan as he was seen partying with former India captain MS Dhoni in Dubai after opting out of the Test series.
Following that Ishan also appeared in a popular TV quiz show. The report further said that Ishan's actions might further lead to his exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad.
On the other hand, selectors were also quite unimpressed with Shreyas' shot selection during the South Africa Test series and wanted the batter to play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy after returning home.
Rahul Dravid said "Media reports are not true - Ishan Kishan asked for the rest, he hasn't made himself available and Shreyas Iyer missed out due to lots of batters in the mix - no disciplinary actions, these are fake". [JioCinema] pic.twitter.com/pnj5htt2Wo
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 10, 2024
But the 29-year-old instead asked for some time off. Shreyas' call did not go down well with the selectors as they decided to drop him from the Afghanistan series. However, Shreyas later made himself available and was added to the Mumbai squad for the Ranji game against Andhra Pradesh, starting January 12.
The report further added that the Ajit Agarkar-led committee has chosen to deal strictly with players who do not take Test and first-class cricket seriously.
The selectors though were quite impressed with Rinku Singh and Shubman Gill's hard work and commitment and the former might soon get a chance to feature in the traditional format.
Also Read: Where to watch South Africa T20 League live on mobile and TV (SA20)
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