Basit Ali criticizes Ishan Kishan's focus on 'fashion' over cricket

Ishan Kishan has been sidelined from the Indian cricket team ever since the BCCI terminated his central contract earlier this year. The dynamic wicketkeeper-batter missed out on selection for India’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup in June and the subsequent white-ball series in Sri Lanka.

Kishan’s exclusion from the team started after he opted out of India’s tour of South Africa in December 2023. He also reportedly refused to participate in domestic cricket despite requests from the BCCI and was seen partying in Dubai during the same period.

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali believes that Ishan Kishan is more interested in "fashion" than playing cricket, which has led to his decline.

On his YouTube channel, Basit Ali criticized Ishan Kishan’s repeated exclusions from the Indian team, suggesting that the wicketkeeper-batter’s focus on “fashion” contributed to his downfall. Ali said, "Ishan Kishan has fallen down the pecking order. He too got into fashion a bit."

In the IPL 2024 season, Kishan played for the Mumbai Indians, scoring only 360 runs in 14 matches at an average of 22.85.

Meanwhile, the Indian team is currently on a white-ball tour of Sri Lanka under new leadership. Captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir led the team to victory in the first two matches, securing the three-match T20I series with one game remaining.

As of now, it remains uncertain when Ishan Kishan will return to contention for India’s squad. The 26-year-old has played in two Tests, 27 ODIs, and 32 T20Is for Team India, with his last international match in November 2023 against Australia in Guwahati.