IND vs AFG: "He Was Going As A Keeper But.." - Aakash Chopra Expresses Surprise At Ishan Kishan's Absence

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra opened up about the selection of Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson over Ishan Kishan for the Afghanistan series. Aakash Chopra said that Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson possess the ability to bat effectively in the lower order.

On Sunday, the selection committee announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match series at home. Senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have returned after being absent from the T20I squad since the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal loss.

Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma have been selected as the designated wicketkeepers for the series against Afghanistan. Notably, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan have been omitted, despite their recent roles as wicketkeepers for the Indian cricket team across formats.

But Ishan Kishan Is Not There Now – Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that Sanju Samson had not taken on the wicketkeeping role in the last two series. Chopra emphasized the challenge of accommodating Ishan Kishan, with the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

“Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson are the two wicketkeepers, although Samson wasn’t kept as a keeper in the last two series. Ishan Kishan was going as a keeper but he is not there now. Nobody knows why Ishan Kishan isn’t there, that’s a different story,” Chopra said.

“You have suddenly filled up the opening slot. Virat Kohli plays at No. 3, he doesn’t play at No. 4. So the keeper has to bat down the order. You have only two keeping options who can bat down the order, one is Jitesh Sharma and the other is Sanju Samson,” he added.

Ishan Kishan opted out of the recent Test series against South Africa, citing personal reasons. The selectors haven’t confirmed whether Kishan has been overlooked for the T20Is or if he remains unavailable for selection.

Sanju Samson Will Bat Down The Order – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra emphasized that Jitesh Sharma is the only wicketkeeper who can bat down the order. Chopra suggested that players such as KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, or Ishan Kishan could boost their selection by batting at No. 4 or No. 5 in the IPL.

“You are assuming that Samson will bat down the order. It’s not necessary he can do that because you haven’t seen him doing that. Let’s be fair, he also plays in the top order for the Rajasthan Royals,” Chopra further added.

“Jitesh Sharma is the only legit keeper who bats down the order, everyone else bats at the top, whether it is KL Rahul, Sanju Samson or Ishan Kishan. If any of them wants to strengthen his case, play at No. 4 or No. 5 in the IPL.”

Recently, KL Rahul expressed his willingness to play as a middle-order wicketkeeper-batter in T20Is. He kept wickets and batted in the middle order for India in Tests and ODIs. However, he hasn’t had the chance to play in a T20I match since the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Also read: “No Selector Has Guts To Include Rohit Sharma And Drop Virat Kohli..”- Aakash Chopra