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'I Feel Ishan Should...': Gambhir Backs Ishan Kishan At Top Over Rohit, Virat

image-lm4p8m8oIshan Kishan in action against PAK in Asia Cup 2023 (AP)

Gautam Gambhir has thrown his full support behind India’s rising star and wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan. The former cricketer believes the Indian team management should promote the youngster as one of the openers in the side in place of skipper and regular opening batsman Rohit Sharma.

After Sharma and number three Virat Kohli were knocked over cheaply by Pakistan paceman Shaheen Afridi, it was India’s middle-order batters Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya who guided their team towards a competitive total.

Gambhir believes the team management should cash in on Kishan’s sparkling ODI form off late, which includes four successive fifty-plus scores in a row.

Gambhir questions Kohli and Sharma’s form

Ahead of India’s Asia Cup 2023 Group A fixture against Nepal, cricketer-turned-commentator Gautam Gambhir stated that in-form Ishan Kishan should open the innings alongside fellow youngster Shubman Gill.

The former opening batsman also opined that Rohit Sharma should drop himself to number three, and Virat Kohli should drop himself to number four at the expense of in-form youngsters in the side.

While speaking on Star Sports, Gambhir said:

“I feel Ishan should have opened for India with Shubman Gill. Now if Rohit wants to play at No.3 then he can, then Kohli will be at No. 4 or the opposite. You should always allow a youngster to play at his most comfortable position. 

Yes you can debate that Rohit and Gill are a more settled opening pair, with Kohli usually playing at No. 3 and Shreyas Iyer at 4. But look at the form that Ishan Kishan is in right now. He has a 200 in ODIs, has scored three fifties in a row while opening in the previous tour.”

Following India’s early jitters against Pakistan, Kishan and Pandya stretched the team total past the 200-run mark without further casualty, before handy runs from the tail eventually took team to 266.

As it turned out, both India and Pakistan walked away with a point each after persistent rains washed away the entirety of the latter’s run-chase.