Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian opener, thinks that Ishan Kishan has significantly impacted the Indian team’s middle order during the Asia Cup 2023. Ishan Kishan, typically an opener, was assigned the No. 5 batting position against Pakistan in Pallekele due to KL Rahul’s injury.
He embraced the challenge and delivered an outstanding innings of 82. This was especially crucial as it came when the top-order batsmen were struggling. During an interview with India Today following the Asia Cup 2023 final, Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts about Ishan Kishan.
He stated: “Definitely (sealed his spot in middle-order), also gives you a left-handed option in the middle. India don’t have a left-hander at the top 4 and then Hardik Pandya. Ishan Kishan at No. 5 makes a lot of sense.”
He further added: “This is the beauty of being an opening batter. An opening bat can also slot himself down in the middle-order. Ishan Kishan has shown, particularly with the way he kept his composure, the way he handled against Pakistan. He got those 80-odd runs shows that he is not somebody who likes to go out and play his shots but he is somebody who applies his mind, reads the situation and plays accordingly.”
“Ishan Kishan showed admirable patience against Pakistan”: Sunil Gavaskar
Team India faced a challenging situation against Pakistan in Pallekele, making Ishan’s 82 all the more remarkable. Sunil Gavaskar praised him for forming a partnership with Hardik Pandya and displaying exceptional composure despite his youth.
Gavaskar stated: “He showed admirable patience against the Pakistanis at the start, he made sure the danger was seen away. He hung around with Hardik Pandya and then started to play his shots. That is really a very, very encouraging sign because for somebody as young as him, to show the temperament he showed in that particular game means that he has a bright future ahead of him.”
With Shreyas Iyer still on the path to recovery from a back spasm, Ishan Kishan could potentially get the nod over the right-handed batsman in the upcoming ODI series against Australia, which starts on September 22.
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