Star wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is gearing up for his appearance in the India vs Pakistan clash during the Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday, September 2. The talented left-handed batter is a confirmed starter as KL Rahul is sidelined due to a minor injury, as confirmed by Indian head coach Rahul Dravid in a recent press conference held on Tuesday. During Rahul’s absence, Ishan will take on the role of wicketkeeper-batter. While Ishan is typically an opening batter, the presence of Shubman Gill and captain Rohit Sharma in the top positions has led to his likely assignment in the middle order.
With the return of Shreyas Iyer to the team, he will occupy the number 4 position. As a result, Ishan Kishan will take up the batting position at number 5 in the initial two matches against Pakistan and Nepal (September 4th) in Pallekele. Leading up to the match, Ishan has been honing his skills alongside finishers Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja during training sessions on Days 4 and 5 of the conditioning camp in Alur, Bengaluru, as reported by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Asia Cup.
“The team management has fully prepared Ishan Kishan. He was seen batting with Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. He played with them for an hour for two days. Ishan has been fully prepared for the role.”
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For those unfamiliar with Ishan Kishan’s track record, it’s worth noting that he hasn’t had the experience of playing in the number 5 position in ODIs throughout his career up until now. Out of the total 17 ODIs he has participated in so far, Ishan has been an opener on six occasions, while in four matches, he took on the role of the number three batter. His involvement as the number 4 batsman for Team India has spanned six matches, during which he managed to accumulate a total of 106 runs.
India’s Probable Playing XI vs Pakistan: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur/Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
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