Irfan Pathan blasts Ishan Kishan amid his sabbatical from professional cricket: 'How does this even make sense?'

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Irfan Pathan has blasted Ishan Kishan for not playing Ranji Trophy 2023-24 matches for Jharkhand, but having the time and fitness to train alongside Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya in Baroda.

Ishan Kishan has been out of action ever since taking a mental health break by withdrawing his name from the South Africa Tests last year. The youngster missed the three T20I matches against Afghanistan in January.

Media reports have repeatedly suggested that something is not good between Ishan Kishan and the Indian team management. There were reports of the BCCI being unimpressed with the wicketkeeper-batter for partying in Dubai immediately after withdrawing his name for South Africa Tests.

The latest reports on the 25-year-old, who was also part of India's 2023 World Cup campaign, have suggested that he wasn't happy with the management preferring Jitesh Sharma ahead of him in the T20Is.

India head coach Rahul Dravid has made it clear that Ishan Kishan will have to play some professional cricket before making a comeback. However, the Patna-born cricketer has paid no heed to the suggestion and misses six consecutive matches for Jharkhand in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2023-24 season.

However, he has travelled to Baroda where he is training with his Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya, and his brother Krunal. Kiran More recently confirmed the news.

Kiran More confirmed to Cricbuzz that Kishan is training at his academy but did not give further details not as the former India wicketkeeper is currently in Mumbai with the Mumbai Indians' Women's Premier League (WPL) side.

Irfan Pathan has taken note of the entire development, saying that he was perplexed to see Ishan Kishan fit enough to practice but not play domestic cricket.

"Finding it perplexing how someone can be fit enough to practice but not play domestic cricket. How does this even make sense?" he wrote in X.

The BCCI on Saturday announced the India squad for the last three Test matches against England. KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel have been named in the squad as the two wicketkeeper-batters.