Seems Like Indian Team Can Get Two MS Dhoni's In Ishan Kishan And Rishabh Pant - Saba Karim
Published - 16 Mar 2021, 02:23 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:42 AM
Former India wicketkeeper-batsman, Saba Karim is excited at the prospect of both Ishan Kishan and Rishab Pant playing together for India for a long time in the future. Saba Karim says that both the wicket-keepers with their attacking batting style resemble former skipper, MS Dhoni – he reckons the Indian team could do well with two Dhoni’s in the eleven!
While Rishabh Pant has now established himself as the first-choice keeper-batsman in the Test side and is likely to do the same in the white-ball team. On the other hand, Pant’s under-19 captain, Ishan Kishan had a memorable start to his T20 career for India blasting a fifty on debut against England.
Kishan was awarded the national team debut after his superb IPL 2020 for the Mumbai Indians; the left-hander was the leading run-scorer for MI and also hit most sixes in the tournament. After a sparkling start to his T20I career, Kishan has laid a claim for the opener’s role for the T20 World Cup.
“It seems like that. If the Indian team can get two Dhoni’s, there cannot be a bigger thing than that. The fearless and carefree manner in which both these players have played and they know what their roles are, showed amazing aggression and that too with calculated risks,” said Saba Karim while speaking with India News.
“Ishan Kishan had struck 30 sixes in the last IPL season. Both these left-handed batsmen have the six-hitting ability and the Indian team needs that currently. It is very good preparation in T20s for the Indian team and these two players and the more chances they get, their self-confidence will increase further,” he added.
Their foundation has been extremely solid: Saba Karim
Saba Karim predicts that both the youngsters will play all three formats for India in the future. The 53-year-old believes that the current success of both left-handers is because of their solid foundation at junior levels.
Kishan and Pant played together in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup; Kishan led the side to the final but lost to West Indies. Both the players enjoyed great success in the tournament; Washington Sundar also played in the same team alongside the two southpaws.
“Both the batsmen have always attempted to prove themselves as match-winners. Earlier Rishabh Pant proved that and now when Ishan Kishan has been given an opportunity, his mindset has also been similar. So I feel India is blessed to have match-winning ability players like Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant in the shorter format of the game. I have full confidence that in the future Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant will represent India in all three formats.
“Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant have both played the Under-19 World Cup for India in 2016. So their foundation has been extremely solid. They know their responsibilities in international cricket and how they have to prove themselves,” Saba Karim further added.
