Veteran wicketkeeper-batter, Dinesh Karthik, kept wickets for India in the first T20I against Ireland, which the tourists won by 7 wickets on June 26 in Dublin, and Aakash Chopra believes that it is a huge statement made by the national team management
Team India had three options – Karthik, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson, to choose from for wicket-keeping, and they went with the experienced and in-form Karthik.
Karthik was given the gloves ahead of Kishan, while Samson didn’t get the opportunity in the first T20I.
Reacting to the decision, the former cricketer-turned-cricket pundit Chopra said that it shows that India will go with Karthik as wicketkeeper in the absence of Pant in the shorter format of the game.
Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel: “Dinesh Karthik is keeping, which means no Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson didn't get an opportunity also. What does it mean, that he is now your primary keeping option if Pant is unavailable, that's a big statement, that's a big endorsement.”
He was also impressed with Kishan’s brilliant knock of 26 runs off just 11 deliveries, studded with three fours and two sixes in the first T20I against Ireland on Sunday.
Chopra signed off by saying, “Ishan Kishan played a short knock but a knock which showed that he is cut above the rest. He has the ability to sight the ball early, the might to play the big shots and if you want to search for a disruptive opener, he is the guy, he is putting his hand up all the time.”
