• Ishan Kishan opted out of India's multi-format tour to South Africa in December 2023.

  • AB de Villiers opened up on Ishan's saga and presented his aspect.

AB de Villiers opens up on the controversial case of Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan and AB de Villiers (Image CC- Twitter)

Ishan Kishan finds himself amidst intense scrutiny after withdrawing from the multi-format tour to South Africa last year. From then, the wicket-keeper-batter has been unable to secure a spot in the Indian team.

The unfolding scenes surrounding his cricketing journey have captivated the attention of fans and critics alike. Adding his perspective to the discourse, former cricketer AB de Villiers has weighed in on Ishan’s situation.

‘It’s a very tricky situation’: De Villiers on Ishan Kishan

De Villiers recently shed light on the intricate challenges encountered by players, emphasizing Ishan’s predicament in India. Drawing from personal experiences, he acknowledged the complexities associated with career management, particularly in the presence of numerous T20 leagues, such as the IPL, competing for players’ attention and focus.

“Very interesting scenario there in India and I’ve been through this quite a bit throughout my career as well. It’s a very tricky situation. Players trying to manage their careers, and rightfully so, but the difficulty around this is that there are a lot of T20 leagues around the world, IPL, and it’s taking up a lot of attention of the player’s focus is on that,” De Villiers opined on his YouTube channel.

Also READ: Ishan Kishan defies coach Rahul Dravid’s advice; trains with Pandya brothers for IPL 2024

‘Very difficult because the ultimate format of the game is still Test cricket’ : De Villiers

De Villiers also commented on the challenges faced by Ishan, highlighting the demanding nature of balancing different formats, particularly with Test cricket being the pinnacle. The Proteas juggernaut conceded the external forces and expectations on players, leading to potential burnout and defensive reactions. He emphasized the significance of managing energy levels to prevent players from retreating into a defensive mindset.

“Very difficult because the ultimate format of the game is still Test cricket and all Test-playing nations really wanna look after the Test format, so there’s a bit of force in all kinds of directions here. Guys, you do run out of energy, and once you run out of energy, you tend to go in your defensive mode and into a shell where you look after what you feel is important to you, and that’s a human reaction,” the 39-year-old added.

Also READ: Head coach Rahul Dravid spills beans on Ishan Kishan’s absence from India squad

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