Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has backed the idea of playing both Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul in the playing XI after the two wicketkeepers were named in the 15-man squad for the ODI World Cup. Gavaskar said it’s good to have a problem of plenty in the middle-order and the battle for a spot could come down to KL Rahul vs Shreyas Iyer.
Ishan Kishan’s performances on the tour of West Indies earlier this year kept him in the mix for the Asia Cup and the Mumbai Indians star cemented his spot in the World Cup with a sensational rearguard effort against Pakistan in India’s Asia Cup 2023 Group A opener. Ishan hit an 81-ball 82 in his first match against Pakistan at the big stage, helping India recover from 66 for 4 and post 266 on the board. Ishan took the aggressor’s role in the partnership with vice-captain Hardik Pandya as the two added 138 runs for the 5th wicket.
Ishan Kishan had found success as an opener in the past. His ODI double hundred came at the opener’s spot in Bangladesh last year while he hit 3 successive fifties against West Indies in the ODI series.
All eyes will be on KL Rahul when he rejoins the squad in the Super Fours of Asia Cup 2023 after having recovered from a groin niggle. When Shreyas Iyer, who returned to the team after a nearly 5-month injury layoff, batted at No.4 against Pakistan, it will be interesting to see how India fit KL Rahul into the XI.
Speaking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar said Ishan Kishan can keep wickets to take the pressure of KL Rahul who is returning from the injury layoff.
“It could be a fight between KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the Super Fours in the Asia Cup. With the kind of form that Ishan Kishan showcased against Pakistan… if both Rahul and Ishan play, it might be a good idea to let Ishan keep wickets because if Rahul has undergone recovery from an injury, then getting up and down might be a bit of an issue. It makes sense to have Ishan to keep wickets. It could actually be a fight between Shreyas and KL Rahul for the No. 4 and No. 5 positions,” Gavaskar said.
Despite KL Rahul’s injury issues, the team management seems to be backing the wicketkeeper-batter. While he may be physically fit, his cricket fitness is yet to be determined. The rigors of field movements and running between the wickets could potentially pose a challenge.
However, Gavaskar said Rahul has been a proven performer in the past and he warranted a spot in the World Cup squad.
“He is a proven performer with the bat and when you have been a proven performer, you get a bit of leeway. That’s exactly what has happened in this instance. It can be a bit of a worry that he hasn’t played any cricket. Now, you are flying him to Sri Lanka, he will be able to play a few matches and then you see his fitness.
“You have 3 ODIs against Australia in the 3rd week of September. You can still have a replacement in the World Cup. There is a technical committee of the ICC that will assess the injury and decide whether there can be a replacement or not. I don’t think there should be a problem with that,” he added.
INDIA ODI WORLD CUP SQUAD
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
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