3 reasons why Ishan Kishan can be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in ODI World Cup 2023 

In this article we will be discussing the reasons why Ishan Kishan could be Team India’s top choice. The world of Cricket is about to congregate on Indian soil. We are just a few days away from the biggest showdown in world cricket, the ODI World Cup 2023. The Indian team has picked up momentum at the right time by winning the Asia Cup 2023 and getting an invincible lead in the series against Australia. 

The team management has found answers to all the questions except one: Who will be the first-choice wicketkeeper for India in the World Cup? KL Rahul’s resounding comeback has made this discussion even more interesting but Ishan Kishan is not out of the equation yet.

3 reasons why Ishan Kishan can be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in ODI World Cup 2023.

1. Dynamic Southpaw adds another dimension to the batting Lineup:

For a long time, the Indian batting order has been dominated by Right-handed batter. But turn the clock back to the 2011 ODI World Cup and you will find 3 Left-handed batsmen forming a significant part of the batting lineup: Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina. These players were very crucial in the glorious campaign for the Men in Blue. 

Ishan Kishan also provides an option of a left-hander playing in the middle order adding another dimension to that batting lineup. Uniformity in the batting order would let the other side settle down and bowlers would find it easy to bowl on a particular line and length which would help them in getting their rhythm right. Ishan Kishan will disrupt it with his southpaw abilities and give an edge to the Indian team in the middle overs.

2. Wicketkeeping on Indian tracks? Not as easy as you think:

India is hosting this year’s World Cup and Indian pitches are known for producing a different sort of challenge to the wicketkeepers. Ishan Kishan being a full-time wicketkeeper is more suited to handle those challenges. KL Rahul, when not needed, prefers to take the field rather than picking up the gloves. 

On tracks like Chennai and Lucknow, it will not be plain sailing for a part-time wicketkeeper to tame the vicious spin. Committing mistakes on a stage as huge as the World Cup might prove to be expensive for India. Kishan’s wicket keeping credentials might work in his favour.

3. Managing the workload of KL Rahul:

Rahul is coming after a long spell of a serious thigh injury which he sustained in the last season of the IPL. He walked into the Indian squad for the Asia Cup after his rehab. He sat out in the first two matches before making a place in the lineup in the Super 4 encounter against arch-rivals Pakistan. He took up wicket keeping responsibilities as well in that match. His comeback has been flawless, both with the bat and behind the wicket. 

But such a stretched-out injury layoff indicates the magnitude of his injury. Adding on to his responsibilities in such circumstances and that too in a tournament like the World Cup would not be a wise decision. Relieving him of his wicketkeeping duty will also help him to focus on his batting and continue the brilliant run of form that he is in.