Team India is heading into another World Cup with unresolved questions in their batting order. The selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar is set to announce the Indian team for the Asia Cup this Monday and will have many questions to address during the process. The team for the continental event is more or less the provisional squad for the mega event to be held in India later this year.
One of the major headaches for the selectors will be the wicketkeeper’s slot, with KL Rahul expected to return from injury. Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have performed consistently in the recent past and are in the reckoning for the spot. Ahead of the selection committee meeting in Delhi, former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly gave his verdict on the debate, in what was a thinly veiled message to head coach Rahul Dravid.
Pant is the best wicketkeeper in the country, but you can see Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul; these two will be right up in Rohit’s and Rahul’s minds – Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly was speaking to the media at a recent event and said that he favored Ishan Kishan over KL Rahul, due to his explosive batting nature, which can open up the game for any batting side. Ishan Kishan made his debut for India in February 2022 and has featured in 15 matches in which he went on to score 634 runs including a double hundred, however he has kept the wickets only 6 times in ODIs.
In the absence of Rishab Pant, who has been out of action since December 2022 due to a freak injury, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson have taken turns to perform the wicketkeeping duties for India. The Karnataka batsman has been the regular choice in Pant’s absence scoring 321 runs at an average of 45.83 with three fifties, also adding stability to the middle order, and was also the vice-captain under Rohit Sharma.
Even though Sanju Samson has a better average than both his colleagues, Ishan Kishan has an advantage over the other two by virtue of being a left-hander. Kishan also has the ability to bat at different positions in the batting order. Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri mirrored Ganguly’s thought and said he favored Kishan over Rahul, as he feels it would be risky to play the latter in a major tournament after a long layoff.
See when you’re talking of a player (KL Rahul) who’s not played and is recovering from injury – Ravi Shastri
“To think of him in the XI of the Asia Cup, you’re asking a little too much of the player himself. And then you’re talking about keeping. When a guy comes from an injury, the range of movement and things of that sort, so that’s a no-no,” said Ravi Shastri.
The uncertainties are expected to be busted in the selection meeting on Monday.
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