Ishan Kishan Breaks Silence On Prolonged Team India Snub After Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Heroics: "Felt Quite Bad"

Ishan Kishan slammed a brilliant 101 off just 49 deliveries to guide Jharkhand to victory against Haryana in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final on Thursday. It was an explosive knock from the left-handed batter, who also emerged as the top run-scorer in the competition. The innings was crucial for the wicketkeeper-batter, who has not played for India since 2023. Following the victory, Kishan opened up about his feelings regarding his continued snub from the national side. Kishan admitted that he felt quite bad after being dropped, but added that he no longer has any expectations and is simply trying to concentrate on his game.

"When I was not selected for the Indian team, I felt quite bad because I was doing well. But I told myself that if I am not selected despite this sort of performance, then maybe I have to do more. Maybe I have to make my team win. Maybe we have to do well as a unit," Sportstar quoted Kishan as saying.

"It's important that you don't allow frustration to get to you. This is my message to all the youngsters: frustration is something that will take you one step down. At the same time, you need to put in a lot of hard work, believe in yourself, and just focus on what you need to achieve," he added.

The knock also came at a pivotal time, as the BCCI selectors are expected to announce the squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup this week.

"I know you fancy your chances a lot of times, and when you don't see your name, you just feel bad about it. I'm not in that zone anymore. I'm not expecting anything," he said with a smile, before adding: "My job is to just keep performing."

Kishan also spoke about the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph, calling it the happiest moment of his career.

"It is definitely the happiest moment because we have never won a domestic tournament under my captaincy. This was an opportunity where you had to prove yourself," he said.

"There are times when you doubt yourself, but when you win, it's all done. You know what quality you have, what changes you can make to your game, and how you can turn a match around. Now, I have more trust in myself and more belief in my batting," he added.

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