Rain washed out India's opening game against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023, but Ishan Kishan's fluent knock of 82 off 81 balls will remain etched in the memory of the coach, Rahul Dravid, and the support staff.
With less than a month to go for the ICC World Cup 2023 and only a handful of ODI games to test the players, there will be stiff competition between KL Rahul, who will return after nursing an injury, and the left-handed Kishan.
Kishan has been acting as the like-for-like replacement for the explosive Rishabh Pant. He is still recovering from the injuries sustained during the horrific car accident in December 2022.
A strong middle-order option
Shreyas Iyer is back and may hold on to the No. 4 spot, where he averages 45.50 in 21 games with two hundreds. Rahul, who opened with Rohit in World Cup 2019 following an injury to Shikhar Dhawan, has been even better at No. 5 at an average of 53.00 in 18 games. But if he fails to find form after nursing the thigh injury, Kishan is not only a suitable option for his stroke-making, but he will also provide the left-hand factor.
Kishan is the only left-handed legitimate batter in the side besides Ravindra Jadeja. The Jharkhand lad will not feel too uncomfortable against left-arm pacers too, which has been a problem area for the right-handed batters.
Getting better with time
Kishan stormed into the Indian cricket team after proving his worth in the Indian Premier League. He quickly raised his stakes in 2022 after smashing 417 runs in eight games, including a 210 against Bangladesh in Chattogram, a defining moment in his short ODI career when he became the fastest to an ODI double hundred in 126 balls. He entered the record books and became a symbol of the new India, where the approach looked similar to England's aggressive intent.
He has already scored four fifties in eight games this year, and he will hope to maintain consistency going into the World Cup, irrespective of his batting position.
What stood out in the innings against Pakistan was the seasoned approach. There were no rash or flashy shots. He understood the gravity of the situation at 48/3 and then 66/4. The fifth wicket fell at 204, after Kishan stitched a 138-run partnership with Hardik Pandya.
Multiple roles
Kishan can play multiple roles in the Team India setup. He is a wicketkeeper, batter and a specialist hitter of spin bowling. He had once smashed left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, usually difficult to pick, for four consecutive sixes in the Indian Premier League.
On Saturday, Kishan tactfully scored 25 off 20 off leg-spinner Shadab Khan and 28 off 25 off left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.
Kishan has been brave to pull the short-pitched deliveries: his go-to shot. He is technically on point while playing the cut and slog-sweeping the spinners.
As a wicketkeeper, he has shown remarkable improvement that was visible in the Test series in the West Indies. He kept like a seasoned campaigner against R. Ashwin and Jadeja. Both spin bowlers are known for causing problems with arm balls, carrom balls and the sudden drift with pace and bounce.
Having played under Rohit in the IPL for Mumbai Indians before Team India, Kishan has an understanding with his captain. "Ishan is a very talented guy. We have seen it in the short career that he has had for India.
"He recently made 200 runs in limited-overs (ODI against Bangladesh last December). He has the game, and the talent. We have to harness that talent. We need to give him opportunities. He is a left-handed batter and likes to play aggressive cricket," Rohit told reporters after the Jharkhand cricketer's Test debut. Kishan scored an unbeaten 52 in the second Test at Port of Spain.
There is no doubt that Kishan will play a few games in the World Cup, but it remains to be seen whom he can replace as the player pool is perhaps the strongest since the 2011 World Cup.
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