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Ishan Kishan Once Slapped Shubman Gill In Jest, Now To Play Under Him In England Test

Aakash Saini

Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan [Source: @MumbaiIndians/YouTube]Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan [Source: @MumbaiIndians/YouTube]

Indian batters Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan share a long-standing camaraderie, built over years of playing either together in international assignments or against each other in IPL seasons. Back in IPL 2023, the two cricketers shared a light-hearted moment ahead of a fixture between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, offering fans a glimpse of their off-field rapport amid the on-field rivalry.

As players from both sides were making their way out to the field for a training session, Ishan Kishan was spotted playfully slapping Shubman Gill, evoking laughter from even their teammates.

From Slap To Salute: Ishan Kishan’s Journey With Shubman Gill

Back during IPL 2023, Ishan Kishan cheerfully greeted Gujarat Titans batter Shubman Gill with a slap ahead of a training session at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gill also cheekily tapped on the head of the then Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batter as the two firebrand batters shared a burst of laughter before heading off to their respective nets, turning a brief pre-match interaction into a moment fondly remembered by fans.

Fast forward to mid-2025, and now Ishan Kishan finds himself at the precipice of making his return to international cricket for Team India, under the leadership of new Test captain Shubman Gill no less.

However, Ishan will likely have to wait a little longer to find a place in the playing XI, as the Indian team management reportedly decided to give a nod to Dhruv Jurel for the final Test of the series against England after the unexpected injury of regular stumper Rishabh Pant. Nonetheless, no official confirmation has been made yet, with Cricbuzz reporting that Ishan might well be given a nod ahead of Jurel.

It is worth noting that Ishan Kishan recently played a couple of County Championship matches for Nottinghamshire to strengthen his bid for a national return.