Indian team management’s decision to drop left-handed opener Ishan Kishan from the playing XI for the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Guwahati led to a massive outrage on social media.
Notably, Kishan had slammed a double century in his last ODI appearance against Bangladesh. However, India skipper Rohit Sharma preferred to go with Shubman Gill, citing that the latter deserves a long run because of his consistency in the 50-over format last year.
Sharing his two cents on the same, former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly said Kishan will have to wait for his “time” as Gill has done no wrong.
“I’m sure he (Kishan) will get his chance. His time will come,” Ganguly quoted as saying by PTI.
While the decision to axe Ishan Kishan drew criticism from many former cricketers, Ganguly chose to keep quiet.
“I don’t know… It’s difficult for me to say. In India, we have too many opinions, let (head coach) Rahul Dravid and (skipper) Rohit Sharma decide. People who actually play the game should actually decide who’s the best,” he added.
In the first ODI, Virat Kohli produced a batting masterclass to script India’s comprehensive 67-run victory over Sri Lanka.
Batting at No. 3, Kohli slammed 113 off 87 balls, propelling the hosts to a mammoth 373/7 in their allotted 50 overs. It was his 45th ton in the 50-over format and he is now four centuries away from equalling the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 49 ODI hundreds.
Asked to compare Kohli with Tendulkar, Ganguly said: “It’s a difficult question to answer. Kohli is a fantastic player. He’s played many such innings, 45 hundreds don’t happen like this. He’s a special talent. There will be periods when he will not score, but he’s a special player.”
Following his car accident last month, India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is currently undergoing treatment and he won’t be available to lead Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2023 season.
“We will do the best with whatever team we will have,” Ganguly, who will be back with DC as Director of Cricket, said.
“Every time there’s a challenge, we had a different team in 2019. I was not there for three years and we’ll try to do well this time,” he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
