Despite scoring a double century in his last ODI appearance for India, Ishan Kishan could not find a place in the playing XI for the series against Sri Lanka. Shubman Gill batted at the top along with captain Rohit Sharma, leaving no room for the star batter.
Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder, believes Kishan won’t be able to join the Indian white-ball team’s top order. The all-rounder asserted during a discussion at Star Sports that Virat Kohli cannot be replaced going into the ODI World Cup along with Gill and Sharma. Kishan will essentially need to find his position in the middle of the Indian team’s batting order as a result of this.
“He will not play at the top because you don’t want to touch Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill at the top. Virat Kohli will be at No. 3. So where do we have a place, at No. 4?” Irfan Pathan asked.
“The discussion will be only between No. 4 and No. 5. I don’t see Ishan Kishan batting below No. 4. The Indian team might do that but he bats up the order, you can get him to bat maximum at No. 4 but not below that,” the former player further added.
Pathan stated that the only position to play the powerful and effective left-hander was to drop Shreyas Iyer down to adjust Ishan. “I feel he might get a place at No. 4, Shreyas Iyer might have to go slightly down,” Pathan said.
The Indian Cricket Board announced on Tuesday, January 17, that Iyer had been ruled out of the three-match series against New Zealand due to a back injury. While Madhya Pradesh’s Rajat Patidar has been drafted in his place, Ishan Kishan could fill the fourth spot in the batting order.
India’s updated squad
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), Rajat Patidar, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik
