IND vs AFG: 'Absolutely not' - Rahul Dravid dismisses fake news report on Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer

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IND vs AFG: Reports suggesting Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer have been not included in the India squad for 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan because of disciplinary reasons are fake, head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed on the even of the first T20I to be played in Mohali on Thursday.

Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer made headlines on Wednesday after a Bengali language newspaper reported that Ishan Kishan has been dropped as he was spotted partying with MS Dhoni in Dubai after taking a break due to mental fatigue. The same report added that Shreyas Iyer also declined from featuring in Ranji Trophy 2023-24 matches, and faced the snub as a punishment.

Rahul Dravid quashed out both the reports. He said that Ishan Kishan, who withdrew his name from South Africa Tests, has still not made himself available. The former India captain added that Shreyas Iyer was left out as there were too many batters to accommodate.

"No absolutely not (disciplinary issue). Ishan Kishan was not available for selection. Ishan requested for a break, which we agreed in South Africa. We supported it. He has not yet made himself available. I don't think he has made himself available as yet. When he is available, he will play domestic cricket and make himself available for selection," Dravid said in the pre-conference ahead of the first Test.

"Certainly, in Shreyas Iyer's case, there is absolutely no disciplinary reason for his non-inclusion. It's just that he missed out. There were a lot of battes in the team", Dravid said. "Shreyas missed out, he didn't play the T20Is in South Africa, if you noticed. They are a lot of batters and it's not easy to fit everyone. So, absolutely, there is no disciplinary reasons at all. At least I didn't discuss such things with the selectors," he added.

The coach further revealed that Virat Kohli would miss the first match due to personal reasons, and captain Rohit Sharma would open with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the series.