Former India opener, Gautam Gambhir has finalized his top six players in India’s ODI setup.
He feels that Ishan Kishan is the ideal option for the opening slot rather than Gill, Dhawan, or Rahul.
Kishan has earned a lot of accolades in 2022 for notching up the fastest double hundred in the 3rd ODI against Bangladesh.
Gambhir feels that the discussion is over and that Kishan should be given a longer rope in ODIs after his performance.
Dhawan has already been dropped from India’s ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series.
Says Gambhir,
I’m amazed we’re discussing this, because someone’s got a double hundred in the previous innings. The discussion is over. It has to be Ishan Kishan. Someone who can get a double hundred in those conditions against a reasonable attack- especially at [their] home- should play.
Kishan has been India’s backup opener in ODIs for over a year now and got an opportunity to play in the final ODI of the series where he proved himself a worthy contender for the ODI squad.
Adds Gambhir,
He got that 200 by the 35th over mark? You can’t look at anyone beyond Ishan Kishan. He has to be given a longer run. He can also keep wickets as well, so he can do two jobs for you. So for me, that discussion shouldn’t be there. If someone else had got a double hundred, I think we would’ve gone gung-ho over that individual, but it’s not the case with Ishan Kishan. Because we will still continue to talk about other players. For me, that debate is over.
Gambhir picks his ideal top six for ODI World Cup
Meanwhile, Gambhir has also named his ideal top six players who should feature for India in the upcoming ODI World Cup.
His six players are Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, and Hardik Pandya.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper has also added that KL Rahul can remain the backup opener and wicketkeeper for the team.
It’s very difficult to look beyond Rohit and Ishan Kishan to open the batting, Virat at three, Surya at four, [and] Shreyas at five, because he’s been incredible in the last one-and-a-half years. Yes, he’s had issues against the short ball, but he’s been able to manage it. You can’t be the best against everything but if you’re able to manage it and get the numbers going for you, you can’t look beyond Shreyas at No.5 and Hardik [Pandya] at 6.
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