Sanju Samson Kicked Out For Ishan Kishan As India Squad for ICC World Cup 2023 Announced

Former India wicketkeeper and national selector Saba Karim has praised Ishan Kishan and opined that the youngster makes up for a good backup opener. The former cricketer’s comments came after Ishan Kishan scored a fine fifty in the first ODI between India and West Indies on Thursday (July 27) in Barbados.

With only 114 runs to chase, captain Rohit Sharma decided against opening the innings and allowed Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill to open. The wicketkeeper-batsman made the most of the opportunity and scored 52 runs off 46 balls with the help of seven fours and a six.

The match saw the fresh pairing of Kishan and Shubman Gill opening the innings for India where the former impressed with his knock. His contribution was pivotal in taking the Indian team to their victory over the West Indies by 5 wickets and getting a 1-0 lead in the ongoing series.

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Before the fifty in the first ODI, Ishan Kishan had also impressed with his batting during the second Test of the recently-concluded series against the Caribbean outfit. After scoring 25 runs in the first innings, he was promoted in the batting order as the team wanted some quick runs and the left-handed batsman totally justified the decision by scoring an unbeaten 52 off 34 balls.

Saba Karim praises Ishan Kishan:

With Ishan Kishan playing another impressive knock, Saba Karim has heaped praise on his versatility. The former cricketer has said that Kishan could be a backup not only for the openers but also for KL Rahul who is likely to keep wickets in the coming days in Rishabh Pant’s absence.

“I did not expect him to open the innings. But good to see him being given the chance to open the innings and it adds to his value,” Saba Karim told JioCinema.

“I am presuming KL Rahul is your main wicketkeeper-batter and looking at Kishan as a backup gives the team so much of flexibility.”

“You can get Kishan as a reserve keeper who can bat in the middle order as well as be a backup opener for you. So, you do not have to pick another backup opener in your team. Because it becomes so challenging to pick 15 players, it comes in very handy. As he has spent more time in the middle, his confidence as a batter and keeper has increased,” he added.

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