Revealed: How Ishan Kishan Got Back His BCCI Central Contract?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) declared the annual retainership contract for the players with a few surprises. A total of 34 players were awarded in the new list for the 2024-25 season, with both Shreyas Iyer and the wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan making a return to the list after missing out on it last year.

The rule suggests that the Grade C players are those who are new entrants and one-format regulars on the side. For Grade B, these are players with two white ball formats.

Ishan Kishan’s lack of interest

With Iyer’s return to the contract list largely expected after his heroics in the side during the Champions Trophy 2025, a few eyebrows were raised when Ishan Kishan got the contract. The southpaw hasn’t featured in international cricket during the contract period from October 10, 2024, to September 30, 2025.

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Kishan’s last game for the national side came in the T20I series against Australia at home in November 2023, just after the final of the ODI World Cup, when the selectors decided to rest the senior players.

Ishan Kishan then traveled to South Africa as a backup wicket-keeper, but he didn’t get the chance to play in the eleven. He returned home midway through the series, citing a need for rest due to the hectic schedule.

In 32 T20I innings, Kishan has collected 796 runs at a strike rate of 124.37, besides collecting 933 runs in 24 innings at an average of 42.40 and a strike rate of 102.19. The youngster has featured in two Tests to nail 78 runs at a strike rate of 85.71, including one half-century to his name.

Ishan Kishan becomes part of the domestic tournaments

Neither he nor Iyer were participating in the domestic tournament when the BCCI emphasized the importance of contracted players participating in the domestic fixtures.

On one hand, when Shreyas returned to the Mumbai side, Ishan Kishan turned up for the Jharkhand team. For the preparation of the Ranji Trophy, he also took part in the Buchi Babu event in Chennai.

The 26-year-old featured for India A in the squad that toured Australia for two four-day matches ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 last year. That was a signal of his being in the BCCI plans. The board, perhaps, has considered this performance in reinstating his contract.

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Sanju Samson didn’t perform well in the recent five-match home T20I series against England with consecutive low scores. The national side seems to have looked beyond Jitesh Sharma as the lower-order batter, which brings Ishan Kishan to the spot of getting into the shortest format with a glorious run of form.

Ishan Kishan’s rollercoaster IPL 2025

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) signed the batter during the mega auction of the IPL 2025 and used him at the number three position. He made a cracking start in the event with an unbeaten knock of 106 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

It felt like the batter would get bucketful runs this year and would come under the radar of the selectors before the T20 World Cup selection. But since the opening game, nothing has worked for the youngster.

In the last six innings, Isha Kishan managed only 32 runs at an average of just over five. With the franchise not doing well overall in the competition, with the ninth position staying in the points table, it will be high time for the batter to get back into form.