Explained | Why Ishan Kishan should be in the India Playing XI during ODI World Cup

Team India is all set to bid for its third ODI World Cup as they prepare for the final push before the tournament begins on October 5. With less than a month to go for the start of the ODI World Cup in their own backyard, India announced its 15-member squad with no real surprises. Ishan Kishan, named in the squad, has been knocking on the doors for a permanent spot in the Playing XI, but the question is does he deserve to start ahead of KL Rahul in the ODI World Cup?

In-form batter

Ishan, 25, has been in great form in the recent times that has seen him cement his place in the Playing XI, but with veteran Rahul set for a comeback in the team, his place could be in jeopardy. In the West Indies tour, he scored three consecutive fifties while he continued his best touch with another one in the opening Asia Cup 2023 contest against Pakistan. With four consecutive fifties, he is the most in-form player in the Indian side.

Since the tail end of last year, Ishan Kishan has scored runs left, right, and centre which earned him a place in the team. He scored a brilliant double hundred in the ODI against Bangladesh last December; however, Shubman Gill’s form saw him go down the pecking order. But injuries to players like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer helped him claw back into the team.

Wicketkeeper option

Ishan’s formidability in the team also attracts a huge interest as the team has struggled since Rishabh Pant’s near-fatal accident last December. The key role initially saw three frontrunners in the form of Rahul, Ishan, and Sanju Samson in the race to take over the duties with gloves. The Mumbai Indians batter is already an established wicketkeeper while providing competition to Rahul and Samson. As things stand, Rahul (in the World Cup squad) has been struggling with injury issues while Samson (not in the World Cup squad) has failed to impress the selectors.

There are also concerns over Rahul’s ability to don the gloves for 50 overs as he is yet to take to the pitch since the final week of the Indian Premier League (IPL). With fitness playing a key role, Ishan looks a perfect fit in the side and has barely struggled with injuries.

Lack of left-hander options

The current Indian batting line-up lacks left-handing batting options, and Ishan provides relief on that front. As anticipated, if India put in a fully-strengthened side, the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel remain the only left-hand batting options. If KL Rahul gets the nod ahead of Ishan, in this case, the Men in Blue will have a left-hand batting option in the top six.

Interestingly, compared to previous World Cup squads, India always had a good left-right combination to play the mind games. In the 2011 ODI World Cup, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina were the guaranteed left-hand batting options in the squad while Shikhar Dhawan was another key member during the last decade.

Provided India could struggle with the rotation of strikes and play the mind games, Ishan could be the perfect fit in the team.

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KL Rahul’s injury worries

While Ishan has been knocking on the doors for a place in the Playing XI, he has been helped in disguise by the injuries to KL Rahul and Samson’s inability to make the most of his opportunity. While Samson is no threat to Ishan since getting omitted from the ODI World Cup squad, Rahul could be his close compatriot in the team. However, with Rahul still struggling with injuries Ishan has become an automatic starter in the side.

31-year-old Rahul has missed cricketing action since May when he got injured against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He has since been on treatment and rehabilitation and only returned to the squad for the Asia Cup 2023. However, it was later revealed he won’t be available for the group stages of the Asia Cup and will participate when the Super Four stage begins.

Utility option in team

As things stand, the Indian team management will also have a decent headache if any player from the middle-order or opening slot goes missing. Ishan in this case could be a natural choice in the team as he can fill in at the top and the middle order. The wicket-keeper batter from Patna will be a good option if anyone from the middle-order gets injured and could also fill in for Shubman Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma if required.

India’s ODI World Cup campaign will get underway on October 8 against Australia, while also having a good warm-up during the Asia Cup. Interestingly, India will also face Australia in a three-match ODI series later this month, giving Ishan and Rahul a perfect opportunity to prove their worth in the Playing XI.

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