Former Head of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) Sourav Ganguly prefers left-handed opener Ishan Kishan as India’s first-choice catcher in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. Ganguly says that Kishan will open the game for the team with his explosive batting ability and he will therefore be an ideal replacement for Rishabh Pant, who he considers the best behind the Indian team’s stumps.
Speaking at a recent event, Ganguly said, “Pant is the best catcher in the country, but you can see Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul (depending on his fitness); these two things will be right in the mind of Rohit and Rahul. I like Ishan Kishan because he is always open to play for any team. I’m sure that Dravid will keep him in his plans.”
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KL Rahul has replaced Pant as India’s main catcher after the crash of the Delhi Capitals (DC) star. However, Rahul has had to deal with a hamstring injury since May and he has not played any competitive cricket since. He will likely be in the squad for the Asian Cup but Kishan has been around for a long time.
In 16 rounds, Kishan scored 694 runs averaging 46.27 with a hit rate of 107.43. He even scored the historic double of the century in the ODI match against Bangladesh in December last year and won the opening position brilliantly. As a result, Ganguly echoed the views of former head coach Ravi Shastri, who did not keep Rahul or middleweight smasher Shreyas Iyer in his ideal squad for the World Cup.
“Look when you are talking about a player (KL Rahul) who is not playing and is recovering from an injury. Thinking about him in the typical Asian Cup squad, you’re asking too much of the player himself. And then you’re talking about holding. When a guy has injuries, range of motion and things like that, so it’s a no-no,” Shastri mentioned on a TV show last week.
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