Ishan Kishan Has Been Picked On His Potential: Rahul Dravid

Indian head coach Rahul Dravid backed wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan over his poor form with the bat in the recently-concluded T20I series against West Indies. Ishan accumulated 71 runs from three innings at an average of 23.67 in the three T20I matches against Kieron Pollard & co.

After his 42-ball 35 in the first match, the Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter could manage just two runs from 10 balls in the second T20I match.

Ishan Kishan played slow against West Indies in the T20I series

It was expected that Kishan would be dropped from the Indian team in the final T20I match but BCCI resting Rishabh Pant from the bubble for four T20I matches guaranteed the 23-year-old his place as the gloveman of the team.

Kishan made 34 runs from 31 balls, smashing five boundaries before he was bowled by West Indies spinner Roston Chase in the 10th over. Despite having a tough series against the two-time T20 World Cup winners, Ishan received support from head coach Rahul Dravid.

We try to give people as much as possible consistent runs: Rahul Dravid

Dravid acknowledged that it is tough for players to be at their very best in every T20 match and said that the team management won’t drop players just after they fail to perform in a few games.

Apart from Ishan, Maharashtra batter Ruturaj Gaikwad and Madhya Pradesh bowler Avesh Khan, both of them didn’t have a good game in the final T20I match, got the backing of the Indian head coach.

“This is a tough format. We are asking them to play high-risk cricket. We’re asking them to play shots all the time. And we don’t judge them on a few games. It’s not the way, it’s done. We try to give people as much as possible consistent runs.

“We’re trying to give them opportunities to play and not judge them on a game to game basis or on one series,” Dravid said during a press conference. 

“Ishan has been picked on his potential, his performance. Yes, you cannot specify this many games. Sometimes it’s a combination, sometimes it’s injuries. Never always give a player the same number of games, there cannot be a written number in stone whether it’s seven or six matches.

“Whether it’s Ruturaj Gaikwad or Avesh Khan today. We are not judging them on one game. They’re here because they perform and deserve to be here,” he added. 

Ishan Kishan is part of India’s T20I squad for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka with Kerala player Sanju Samson being named the other wicketkeeper in the 18-member squad led by Rohit Sharma. The first T20I will start on February 24 in Lucknow.

Also Read: IND vs WI: Ishan Kishan Batted Well But The Strike Rate Is Still Questionable – Aakash Chopra