Ishan Kishan took the cricketing world by storm with his record-breaking 210 off 131 balls in an ODI match against Bangladesh last month.
After that gigantic knock, many cricket and experts had expected Ishan to be a regular feature in India’s ODI playing XI ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
However, the southpaw was not considered in India’s playing XI for the recently-concluded three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka as the team management decided to give Shubman Gill a fair run because of the latter’s consistency in the 50-over format last year.
With skipper Rohit Sharma a certainty and Gill being impressive as well, it has become a challenge for the Indian team management to fit in Ishan Kishan in the line-up.
Amid the debate, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar suggested a solution, which includes Virat Kohli sacrificing his No.3 spot.
“It’s going to be still tricky. One guy is going to be really upset. I have got an idea to sort this mess out. Have Shubman Gill bat at No. 3, he seems like he can handle that position, and then Virat Kohli sacrifices his No. 3 for a No. 4," Manjrekar told Star Sports.
“He (Kohli) has done that before to Ambati Rayudu once, many years back against Sri Lanka. So that could be a way to sort it out. Ishan Kishan after his double hundred, left and right-handed combination at the top is not such a bad idea," he added.
According to Manjrekar, Kishan’s game is such that he will give the innings an impetus at the top and it will ultimately help the likes of Gill and Kohli.
“You have got to make use of Ishan Kishan’s current form and the kind of explosion that he provides. Always helpful for guys like Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli coming in next if you got somebody coming in and getting 50 off 30 balls," he said.
“Then down the order, how you get the middle order right - I don’t know. Suryakumar Yadav is back in the 50-overs fold. He is in the Test squad as well, so that is brilliant. Shreyas Iyer has to play before Suryakumar Yadav, that’s going to be tricky," he further remarked.
India’s next assignment is the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 18 in Hyderabad.
