Sports management group IOS signs India U-19 captain Ishan Kishan for three years

NEW DELHI: The Indian U-19 team might have lost in the World Cup finals against West Indies but the team’s captain Ishan Kishan is making big strides with sports management firm IOS Sports & Entertainment signing up the Jharkhand cricketer to exclusively manage him for a period of three years.

The Rahul Dravid coached U-19 team led by Kishan narrowly lost to West Indies in the finals played on Sunday.

The 17-year-old left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper from Jharkhand had made his debut in the Ranji Trophy against Assam in December 2014 while playing for Jharkhand. He played with MS Dhoni at the Vijay Hazare Trophy and was picked by new IPL team Gujarat Lions for the upcoming season of the league.

He was made captain of the U-19 team in 2015 during the triangular series in Sri Lanka.

IOS has signed a deal with Kishan for his worldwide representation rights for three years. Under this, IOS will manage his endorsements and brand associations, corporate profile, patents and digital rights, images, visibility on social networking sites and merchandise.

“We believe promising youngster Ishan has the potential to be among the top cricketers of the next generation,” says Neerav Tomar, CEO of IOS Sports & Entertainment. “We are proud to have added a confident and correct wicket-keeper batsman with great leadership qualities to our portfolio.”

In the first class cricket, Ishan has scored 736 runs in 10 matches including one century and five half-centuries.

IOS had recently also signed Suresh Raina, its first cricketer. It already manages the likes of Olympic medalists Saina Nehwal, Vijender Singh and MC Mary Kom and Olympian shooter Heena Sidhu.