Ishan Kishan has been included in India's WC 2023 squad [X.com]
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named a strong 15-member national men's squad for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which as expected will be captained by Rohit Sharma.
However, social media has been debating over the selector's decision to include Ishan Kishan and exclude Sanju Samson. With KL Rahul being touted as the designated wicketkeeper batter, the role of backup keeper becomes even more important which in this case will be Kishan.
India's leading Test off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed the selector's decision to prefer Kishan over Samson. Speaking on his own YouTube channel, India's leading Test wicket-taker explained why Kishan's ability to don different roles pushes him ahead of Samson.
Here's what Ashwin said
"If you look at Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, there is no competition between the two. What i mean is that Ishan Kishan fills many roles. When you pick up a 15-member squad, you need a backup wicketkeeper. For instance, you pick an extra wicketkeeper while naming Ranji Trophy squads. So, India need two wicketkeepers. Ishan Kishan is a back-up opener. He is a 2-in-1 player. He is your backup number 5 too. He is scoring runs there too,
Another thing with Ishan Kishan that doesn't meet the eye is that he is an extraordinary team man. He gives positive vibes to the players in the XI,"
Kishan, ahead of India's World Cup squad announcement, made his case stronger with an outstanding knock against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday.
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