IND vs IRE: His Target Is To Go To T20 World Cup As India's No.1 Choice, Not As A Backup’: Graeme Swann Backs Ishan Kishan
Published - 28 Jun 2022, 05:43 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:09 AM
The only player from any Test-playing nation to date to have amassed more than 400 runs in T20Is in 2022 is Ishan Kishan. He has scored 26, 15, 27, 54, 34, and 76 points in India’s past 6 T20I matches.
Even so, there is a very little likelihood that he will keep his position in the starting lineup when Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul return.
Kishan has claimed the opening berth with powerful performances at the top of the order in the absence of the team’s normal skipper Rohit, who was rested for the South Africa and Ireland series, and Rahul, who is sidelined with a right groin injury.
Graeme Swann Backs Ishan Kishan As Indian Opener For World Cup
Therefore, according to former England off-spinner Graeme Swann, Kishan would not be accepted as the “backup.” The left-hander would like to represent India as the preferred opener in the World Cup.
“His (Ishan Kishan’s) target is to be the opener in the World Cup. There’s no player I know who wants to get there as backup. His stats speak for themselves. It’s interesting that he’s had such a good time at the international level, didn’t have a good IPL by his standards,” Swann said on Sony Sports Network.
India got off to a fast start in their 109-run chase in the 12-overs-a-side opening T20I against Ireland that was postponed due to rain thanks to Kishan’s 16 from 11 balls.
“There will be noway now that he will be thinking ‘I’m not the backup’ he would be saying “I wanna get in there as the No.1 choice’,” Swann added.
Ishan Kishan Has The Best Opportunity: Ajay Jadeja
Ajay Jadeja, a former cricketer for India, claimed that because Kishan bats first in the order, he has the best chance to establish himself.
“He will have to keep pushing. Virat Kohli has to come back, Rohit Sharma has to come back. Shikhar Dhawan was one of the captains of the side not too long ago, is nowhere in the scene. With the Indian cricket team I keep saying it, things change in a couple of months.
You bring in something special to the team and suddenly you start putting pressure on the existing players. Ishan Kishan has the best opportunity as the openers get the best spot to bat in T20s,” he said.
Also Read: IND vs ENG: Graeme Swann Bats For Ravichandran Ashwin To Start
