3 reasons why Ishan Kishan's criticism is wrong

Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan's absence from competitive cricket has been at the forefront of the headlines over the past few weeks. The 25-year-old opted out of the Test series in South Africa, citing mental fatigue and constant travel as reasons.

Unfortunately, speculations of Kishan facing disciplinary actions started making the rounds when he was not part of the Indian squad for the recent Afghanistan T20Is. However, head coach Rahul Dravid quashed those claims, stating that the southpaw was not yet available for selection.

While Dravid emphasized Kishan's participation in the domestic competitions for selection, reports emerged that he did not communicate with the Jharkhand State Cricket Association about his involvement in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.

Ishan Kishan has missed Jharkhand's opening two games so far. It prompted the Indian selectors to go ahead with KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel as wicketkeeping options for the upcoming England Test series.

Furthermore, there have been mixed reactions from experts and fans regarding Kishan's absence due to the mental break, with some offering support and others criticizing the gloveman's decision.

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal said in a recent YouTube video:

"There’s talk about Ishan Kishan being released from the Test squad in South Africa due to mental fatigue. Why face it so early in your career? Players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah handle similar fatigue playing in the IPL and international matches; such kind of breaks are unheard of."

"You’re saving yourself for two months of IPL. Representing India is crucial, and this excuse is puzzling. The selection committee did well by keeping Ishan Kishan out. Let him rest, play domestic cricket later. It shows players can’t ask for breaks casually due to mental fatigue. National duty doesn’t allow that," he added.

On that note, let us look at three reasons why Ishan Kishan's criticism is uncalled for and wrong.

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#1 Athletes being upfront about mental health issues must be backed

Cricketers like Virat Kohli and Ben Stokes have expressed dealing with mental issues in the past.

Mental health has attained prominence in sports over the last few years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, with athletes more upfront in admitting such issues and requesting breaks.

Some of the cricketing giants like Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes, and Glenn Maxwell have spoken about dealing with mental issues at different stages of their careers. While Stokes took an indefinite break from all forms of cricket in mid-2021 until the end of the year, Maxwell cited constant travel as the reason for his break in October 2019.

Kohli detailed his deteriorating mental condition before the 2022 Asia Cup, as a result of which he was rested intermittently for a few games.

All three cricketers were empathized with and backed during those stages, resulting in their cricketing careers now excelling. Former Indian opener Gautam Gambir even spoke to Sportskeeda recently about mental health issues and stated:

"In the 90s and early 2000s, if you spoke about mental health, more than half the people thought you are mad. It was like, what are you talking about? This was especially in the subcontinent. For a long time, people used to think that sportspersons don’t face any pressure. Just go out and play. But a sportsperson’s life is very uncertain and only a sportsman can realize or handle that pressure."

Gambhir further mentioned that sportspersons dealing with mental illness should go to psychologists. He concluded by talking about insecurities in the profession leading to mental health issues.

Considering the depth and seriousness of mental health issues and their damaging impact, Kishan, like several other cricketers, must be devoid of criticism as he looks to overcome this trying phase.

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#2 Ishan Kishan has a long career ahead that could be negatively impacted by criticisms

Ishan Kishan will hope to get back to the nets soon in a bid to resume his cricketing career.

Despite attaining star status in the cricket fraternity and representing India in all formats, one must remember Ishan Kishan is only 25.

The wicketkeeper debuted for India in the white-ball formats in 2021 and the Tests last year. Kishan's versatility is second to none, with the ability to open the batting or bat in the middle order while keeping wickets.

With adaptability at a premium for attaining the ultimate team balance across formats, players like Kishan will be invaluable in the future for India. However, criticism at a time of dealing with mental issues and low confidence could adversely impact Kishan's progress and potentially his cricketing career.

Media rumors about false disciplinary issues further hinder Kishan's eventual comeback and future performances. Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar strongly voiced his opinion on this matter, requesting the media to avoid tarnishing the reputation of the wicketkeeper-batter in such circumstances.

"Players work very hard to play the game at whatever level, so it's incumbent on the media to get their facts right rather than speculate and spoil a young man's name. Kishan is a rare talent, and Indian cricket lovers should back him to come back to scoring and entertaining us sooner rather than later," Gavaskar said.

Kishan's comeback as soon as possible could be of the utmost importance to Team India, with the T20 World Cup in June.

The other wicket-keeping options are either not as versatile, like Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, and Jitesh Sharma, to open the batting or getting up there in years like KL Rahul.

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#3 Ishan Kishan's reasons for the mental break are justifiable

Ishan Kishan played in only two of India's 11 games of the 2023 World Cup.

Ishan Kishan has been part of every Indian squad since January last year and has traveled with the team throughout before his request for a break. While being involved with the sport in some way, shape, or form throughout the year has become commonplace for cricketers in the modern era, the 25-year-old was often warming the benches.

Even when he played, Kishan never enjoyed stability, and his versatility almost started acting as a deterrent. The southpaw became the ultimate bail-out option for achieving team balance, leading to him batting at every position from one to six in the Indian batting order.

Such role instability and being constantly on the road without playing half the games could take a toll on any cricketer, let alone someone at the infant stage of his career.

For context, the youngster batted at No.7 in his debut Test against the West Indies in July last year. Yet, he immediately opened the batting in the white-ball leg of the Caribbean tour. Kishan followed that with a few games in the middle order during the Asia Cup and the Australia ODIs before the World Cup. However, his two games in the showpiece event came as an opener.

Kishan then batted at No.3 for the T20Is that followed against Australia but was excluded from the playing XI in favor of Jitesh Sharma in the subsequent T20 series in South Africa.

Such a roller-coaster ride full of indecisive roles could lead to insecurities and a fear of the unknown, particularly for a young player.

Thus, Ishan Kishan's leave of absence due to constant travels and mental fatigue is highly justified for someone trying to make a mark and settle into his international career.

It makes his criticism completely unfair, considering there aren't many youngsters tasked with such varying roles and uncertainties in a high-pressure environment like the Indian team and all the expectations that come along with that.