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The Indian Cricket team faces a conundrum of picking one between Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul for the wicket-keeper’s slot in the upcoming ODI matches. Rahul has returned from thigh surgery and would be eager to hit the ground running as he has cleared the medical tests. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan played the lead wicket-keeper’s role in Rahul’s absence and has seemingly made the Karnataka batter’s return to the Playing XI even more difficult. The team management will have to make some hard calls for the ongoing Asia Cup and also for the World Cup later.
Kishan has scored four back-to-back-fifties in as many outings recently. Doubts over Kishan’s ability to play in the middle order were reduced when he hit a match-saving 82 against Pakistan at No.5, which is Rahul’s strongest place in the 50-over set-up. This has forced the cricket pundits to stress on the debate even more than before. Former Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan gave his verdict on the pressing issue, preferring Rahul over Kishan for the World Cup. “Ishan Kishan scored runs against Pakistan at No. 5, which is not his position. God forbid if he gets out in the next match, will we say he is not in form? No, that’s not the case. We forget very quickly. We should never forget KL Rahul’s numbers for the last two years and Ishan Kishan has played one innings,” Pathan said on Star Sports.
The 2007 T20 World Cup winner Pathan stated that one should look at long-term goals and feel the team management is on the same page. “You shouldn’t have short-term memory. You should have long-term thinking and I feel the thinking with which the management is going is absolutely correct because if you keep going with short-term memory, you will have a lot of difficulty in making the team, stabilizing it, and giving confidence to the guys,” Pathan added.
However, he added that Kishan can get into the playing XI if Rahul does not play well, implying that it will be the latter’s failure to pounce on the opportunity he got. “You just have to keep in mind that if KL Rahul comes and plays and doesn’t get his form, then you can say that he didn’t regain his form after injury and you can give Ishan Kishan the entire World Cup. However, as soon as KL Rahul comes, he will play,” he added.
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