After playing what could be the most pivotal knock of his career, Ishan Kishan has opened a can of worms for the Indian management ahead of the World Cup 2023. His calm and calculated knock of 82 against Pakistan in the No. 5 position has divided factions: whether to choose him or a coming-out-of-injury KL Rahul? And much like fans online, two former Indian cricketers also went toe-to-toe on the topic. Mohammed Kaif and Gautam Gambhir got into a heated debate after the match over who should be India’s go-to man at the number 5 spot.
“Kl Rahul is a proven match-winner. At No. 5, his numbers are fabulous. So Rahul Dravid knows, there is that clarity in his mind that…remember, Mohammed Shami was dropped today. So, when KL Rahul is fit again, he will be playing in the XI and Ishan Kishan will have to wait for his next opportunity,” said Kaid.
“Ishan is doing all that he needs. He scored in that series against West Indies…his graph is only going up and is getting better by the day.
“Has a double century to his name as well. He has class and talent but he cannot replace Rahul yet because the latter is not playing because of bad form, but due to an injury,” he added.
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Gambhir responded to Kaif’s argument with a question: “To win the World Cup, name is more important or form?”
“Had Kohli or Rohit made those four consecutive fifties, would you have said the same thing about KL Rahul? When you are preparing to win a World Cup, you don’t look at a name, you look at the form of a player that could win you the trophy,” Gambhir said.
Ishan Kishan has made the most of every opportunity he has been given. In his short 18-match ODI career, the southpaw has batted from positions 1 to 5 and has an average of 48.50 and eight 50+ scores to his name. Kishan battled nerves, played out the fast bowlers, cashed in against the spinners, and was even hampered by cramps before he was dismissed.
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The wicketkeeper batter has shown maturity and flexibility in his short ODI career, and with an 82 in a high-pressure IND vs PAK match, the Jharkhand cricketer has silenced the critics.
“Ishan Kishan has done everything possible to become the frontrunner. We are only making this argument because he hasn’t played as many international matches as Rahul,” said Gambhir.
“There have been many players who have lost their spot in the team due to injuries because their replacement player performed impressively. Few had to wait for their chances while other did not even get another chance. This is the reality.
“Yes Rahul is a proven player at No. 5 but for Ishan, who has never batted at that position comes in and score 82 against a bowling attack like Pakistan under that pressure, then you cannot compare the two at all,” he said.
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