He is a proven performer – Sunil Gavaskar on Ishan Kishan

The announcement of the Indian squad for the World Cup took over the headlines at the start of the week, with fans opening up multiple lines of conversation on the 15-man team that was picked. However, in the midst of all the permutations and combinations that are being talked about, Sunil Gavaskar gave us all a quick reminder about India’s upcoming litmus test against Pakistan with the Super Four clash scheduled for September 10.

One of the major things to be discussed for the Men in Blue is their batting order and that is what has been a question ringing loud through the cricketing fabric. Shedding some light on the middle-order, Gavaskar mentioned a crucial pointer about that all-important No.4 in the batting line-up surrounding KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer.

Talking to India Today, Gavaskar said, “It could be a fight between KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the Super Fours in the Asia Cup. With the kind of form that Ishan Kishan showcased against Pakistan... if both Rahul and Ishan play, it might be a good idea to let Ishan keep wickets because if Rahul has undergone recovery from an injury, then getting up and down might be a bit of an issue. It makes sense to have Ishan to keep wickets. It could actually be a fight between Shreyas and KL Rahul for the No. 4 and No. 5 positions.”

Gavaskar further said, “He is a proven performer with the bat and when you have been a proven performer, you get a bit of leeway. That's exactly what has happened in this instance. It can be a bit of a worry that he hasn't played any cricket. Now, you are flying him to Sri Lanka, he will be able to play a few matches and then you see his fitness.”