Ishan Kishan vs KL Rahul - who should be India's wicketkeeper for 2023 World Cup
Team India head into a crucial phase in terms of their preparation for the 2023 ODI World Cup, which begins in a little over two months. Apart from aspects like templates and potential tactics, the management has the huge responsibility of identifying candidates and choosing a perfect squad from the talent pool for the tournament.
The Men in Blue had a successful home season at the start of the year, barring a narrow series loss against Australia. The nine ODIs played over the course of three months shed some light on how India are assessing the players. Another factor that has made the entire process complicated is the never-wavering issue of injuries.
One such area which is heavily hurting due to injuries is the wicketkeeping department. Team India have already lost out on a lot in the longest format due to Rishabh Pant's injury. The issue transcends and seeps into the 50-over format as well, and with an event like World Cup on the horizon, finding a solution is the need of the hour.
Realistically, India do have names to replace Pant in the playing XI and provide an impact with both bat and gloves. KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan are favorites to be the team's wicketkeepers at the World Cup, but who among them should make it to the playing XI is a whole different question.
On that note, let us take a look at what these two players bring with them to the team.
#1 Balance and familiarity
Team India are stacked at the top of the order with the top order arguably set. Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma have forged a serious chemistry while Kohli is an assured call at No. 3.
The middle order is where trouble brews, with two players - Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant unlikely to feature. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson are other options, but to complete the jig-saw India need a solid middle-order batter who can keep wickets as well.
KL Rahul has opened the batting as well as played in the middle order in ODIs, with the latter being more recent. He played crucial knocks under pressure in the middle order in India's ODI endeavors against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Australia. Furthermore, he averages 53 at the position after playing 18 innings.
Ishan Kishan, on the other hand, also has a similar profile to Rahul in terms of batting position. He, too, has been switched from the top order to the middle order as per the team's need. The left-handed batter has batted at No. 4 across six innings but has never batted lower than that in ODI cricket.
If there is no top-four slot available, then introducing Kishan to the grim reality of the lower-middle order for the first time during the World Cup would not be advisable.
Even at No. 4, barring a solid fifty against South Africa in his home venue, he does not have much to show for his efforts. He averages 21 at the position with a strike rate of 67.
#2 X-Factor
Team India's batting is stacked with right-handed batters, and Ishan Kishan's presence comes across as a tantalizing prospect. He could potentially be used as a floater, especially since spinners are expected to have a say in the middle over proceedings.
Having a left-handed batter in the playing XI gives a team a sort of relative immunity against leg spinners for instance. His aggressive batting style might also be of use if the team needs a boost in their scoring rate.
KL Rahul offers composure and solidity. He can hold one end while aggressive batters like Suryakumar Yadav and others can play freely from the other end. The several years of international experience under his belt will also come in handy if India are caught in a tough spot during their campaign.
#3 Recent form
Solely considering the ODI format, KL Rahul has scored three fifties across his last eight innings. He also holds an average of 56.50 in 2023 in the format.
In comparison, Kishan has only scored 33 runs across his last four innings and his last knock of relevance came in the form of his historic double hundred against Bangladesh, which came while opening the batting.
Both batters had mediocre IPL campaigns by their standards, with Rahul not being part of the latter half due to injury. Kishan recently made his Test debut and scored his maiden Test fifty in the drawn second Test.
The left-handed batter will have a chance of making an impression during the ODI series against West Indies, while Rahul is expected to be fit in time for the 2023 Asia Cup.
Who will be Team India's first-choice wicket-keeper at the ODI World Cup? Let us know what you think.