Why Ishan Kishan is Not Playing Today in Jharkhand vs Rajasthan Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26?

The second round matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025 has started in multiple stadiums across the country. The first game was a thriller as 22 centuries came in a single day. Players including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, and others went on to slam centuries in the first match, which was an incredible sight to witness for the fans.

In the second game between Jharkhand vs Rajasthan Vijay Hazare Trophy, Jharkhand's skipper and the centurion of the previous game, Ishan Kishan has been rested and Kumar Kushagra is leading the side for the contest against Rajasthan.

Why Ishan Kishan is Not Playing Today Match?

One of the best wicketkeepers in India and Jharkhand captain, Ishan Kishan, has missed the game against Rajasthan. As per the updates given by current captain Kumar Kushagra, Ishan has been rested by the BCCI and has returned home. He will join the team once again from January 2. Ishan Kishan VHT performance in the past has been incredibly good.

Kishan has been selected in the upcoming T20I series and the T20 World Cup 2026 squad which is why the board wants him to take proper rest before the start of the white-ball series against New Zealand. He slammed a 33-ball century in the previous match against Karnataka and helped his team put up a mammoth total on the board.

However, it went in vain as the opponents chased down 413 runs, which became the highest chase in List A cricket. Karnataka skipper Devdutt Padikkal bashed 118-ball 147, leading the run chase. The thrilling contest kept the audience hooked to their seats even in domestic cricket. More such exciting matches are expected throughout the tournament to keep the charm alive.

Ishan Kishan's Performance in Recent Games

The 28-year-old star batter Ishan Kishan last played for India in 2023. He was included in the ODI World Cup 2023 squad but post that, he has struggled to make his way back into the squad. He was also excluded from the BCCI's central contract as he wasn't playing any matches. Surprisingly, Ishan opened up on travel fatigue and how he wanted to take a break for sometime.

He played in the IPL 2024 and since then, he has playing in the domestic tournaments, slamming plenty of runs. In the SMAT 2025, he was the captain of Jharkhand and led the team towards the championship game and won it by scoring a century. In his last ten innings, he scored 517 runs, including three centuries and two half-centuries and showed why he is still among the best batsmen in India.

After some outstanding performance in the domestic games for almost an year, Kishan was finally included in the Indian squad, proving that hard work can never fail. Now, he is included in the T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup 2026 squad. While it might take him some time to make it back into the playing XI, getting into the squad was a good start.