IND vs ZIM 2022: 3 reasons Ishan Kishan must be in the playing XI
Team India will take on Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series, starting on August 18. With many regulars rested for this series and KL Rahul captaining the side after returning to full fitness, we can expect some new combinations to be tested and players to make their debuts in the series.
Here's India's squad for the series:
KL Rahul (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Deepak Chahar, and Mohammed Siraj.
While there are many exciting players to keep an eye on, it'll be interesting to see how India uses Ishan Kishan. While he has been given multiple opportunities in T20I cricket, he has featured scarcely in ODIs. With that, let's look at three reasons why Ishan Kishan deserves a spot in India's playing XI.
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India wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan remains positive despite Asia Cup snub, says ‘ I will work hard and score more runs’
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#3 Hasn't received a long run in the ODI team so far
The upcoming India vs Zimbabwe ODI series provides the Indian team the license to dole out opportunities to some of their young stars and assess them ahead of the ODI World Cup next year.
While Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are the frontrunners to open the batting (assuming KL Rahul bats at No.5), India have tried out other options like Shubman Gill.
Ishan Kishan is another player who could be considered a backup for the opener's slot but hasn't received consistent opportunities so far. He has played only three ODIs for India, scoring 88 runs at an excellent strike rate of 107.31.
India can afford to experiment and give game-time to various options in this series, and Ishan Kishan merits a fair run in the ODI team.
#2 Back-up wicket-keeping option
Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan - Talent pool in Wicket Keeping options in limited-overs and many likes of Anuj Rawat waiting in domestics. https://t.co/TJonCMPuav
Rishabh Pant is widely expected to be India's first-choice wicket-keeper in the ODI World Cup, with KL Rahul unlikely to don the gloves. India has been testing out different players, including Sanju Samson as his backup, and Ishan Kishan also deserves to be on that list.
Being a left-hander, he gives India the option to divide a long set of right-handed batters in the batting order. He's a specialist keeper whose glovework has been solid across all competitions, and grooming him to be Pant's backup would be a wise move.
While by no means should he be handed a spot in the side, India should give him opportunities to prove his credentials at various batting positions. For that reason alone, Kishan deserves a place in India's playing XI.
#1 Ishan Kishan is a naturally aggressive batter
Ishan Kishan, no matter where he ends up batting for India, will not be afraid to play his shots; such is his temperament and batting style. While the sample space is quite small, his strike rate in ODI cricket is more than 100. He also has an impressive List A record.
India are going through a change in identity as a cricketing unit, transforming into a more naturally attacking side. While they will still prefer to approach ODI cricket more traditionally by setting a solid platform and going big at the end, a little aggression up top won't hurt them.
If Kishan does feature in the top order for India, you know what you're going to get from him as a batter. Of all the experiments India could go with in this three-match ODI series, allowing this attacking batter to play his natural game should be at the top of their priorities.