The left-handed opener has been selected as the backup wicketkeeper and opener for the Indian squad in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023.
New Delhi: Indian veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on young wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan for his exceptional range and the attributes that he brings to the Rohit Sharma-led side. The left-handed opener has been selected as the backup wicketkeeper and opener for the Indian squad in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. Kishan was backed because of his consistent ODI performance in the past few months.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the squad on Tuesday, September 5. The 15-member squad will be led by Rohit Sharma, with Hardik Pandya acting as his deputy. Perhaps the biggest news is that KL Rahul has found his way into the group, deemed fit to take part ahead of their World Cup opener against Australia in Chennai on October 8.
The Mumbai Indians (MI) star batter has been tried and tested by the Indian management across various roles in the 50-over format. The young batter has played in the opening slot and also batted in the middle order against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 group-stage encounter. In both roles, the left-handed batter has shown his talent and adaptability to any situation.
He recently scored a fifty under pressure against Pakistan in the group stage encounter of the continental showpiece. It has given the management a serious selection headache, with the injured KL Rahul making a return soon.
Reckoning that Ishan Kishan is a ‘two-in-one’ player, Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel that “This is not a competition between Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, because Kishan fills so many roles. When you pick a 15-member squad, you need to pick a backup wicket-keeper. Even when we pick a Ranji Trophy squad, we pick two wicket-keepers. So, Ishan Kishan is also a back-up opener along with being a back-up wicket-keeper, he is two-in-one player.”
“Now that Ishan Kishan has succeeded at Number 5, it gives India two left-handers in the middle order. Everyone was going gaga over left-handers and they were saying Ishan Kishan cannot bat at No.5, but he has delivered now,” Ashwin continued.
“When you have selected KL Rahul knowing that he is an important player, then he should be given a fair run. How will the team give him that is the million-dollar question. If he is in the playing XI, then people should not say that there is too much chopping and changing,” Ashwin said on KL Rahul returning to Playing XI.
The Rohit Sharma-led side will face against Babar Azam-led side in their first Super Fours clash on 10 September, Sunday.
India 15-player squad for World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (Captain), 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.
India squad for Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve).