Dinesh Karthik has pushed Ishan Kishan, a talented Indian hitter, to seize chances across formats. With Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson out, and KL Rahul unavailable, the kid is making a name for himself in India’s white-ball squads. Notably, Kishan has been called up for his first Test series against Australia, which will take place next month.
However, the 24-year-old wicketkeeper has struggled to make an impression after his memorable double tonne against Bangladesh in December 2022. He hit the quickest double century in ODI history but failed to build on that performance.
After scoring only 40 runs in three T20Is against Sri Lanka, Ishan was knocked out for four runs in the opening T20I against New Zealand. He made just 30 runs in three One-Day Internationals against New Zealand and is now facing backlash from fans and the cricketing community. Karthik pointed out that despite beginning in all T20Is in Asian conditions, the teenager hasn’t reached a fifty in his past 11 innings.
“Ishan Kishan is one guy who has been handed a lot of games but has yet to hit a fifty. He hasn’t scored a goal in the past 11 games. He has started every game, and starting in T20s is a luxury, particularly in Asia. He’s someone who has done well in ODI cricket despite having little opportunities. “He wants to maximise his playing potential and prospects in India,” Dinesh Karthik remarked.
After losing the first game, India will play New Zealand in the second T20I on January 29 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Jitesh Sharma, an uncapped wicketkeeper, is also in India’s team, although Ishan is expected to play both remaining games in this series. Karthik also said that Ishan’s next two games would be critical and urged him to score big.
“The next two games will be crucial for him to score some huge runs and ensure he’s a constant member of the XI,” Karthik said.
Aakash Chopra, another former cricketer, spoke about Kishan’s engagement across forms earlier today. He said that in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023, he likes KS Bharat above Ishan, and that KL Rahul should be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper option in ODIs.
