India vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI: Former cricketer SLAMS Rohit Sharma, says ‘let Ishan Kishan keep wickets in place of KL Rahul’

Source: Twitter

Team India wicketkeeper-opener Ishan Kishan is set to be dropped for the first ODI against Sri Lanka at Guwahati on Tuesday (January 10). Skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed on the eve of the first ODI that Shubman Gill will open the innings with him and KL Rahul will be the wicketkeeper for the game.

Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad has expressed his disappointment over team management’s decision of dropping Ishan Kishan for the first ODI against Sri Lanka to accommodate Shubhman Gill as skipper Rohit Sharma’s opening partner. Kishan scored the fastest ODI double-century in 126 balls and played a brilliant knock of 210 off 131 deliveries in the third ODI against Bangladesh in December last year, in his last ODI innings.

Taking to Twitter, Prasad wrote: “Think fair would have been to give chance to a man who scored a double hundred in India’s last ODI, and in a series where India lost two games and the series. Have all the time in the world for Gill, but no way you drop a player for scoring a double ton.

“And if one is convinced to play Gill, then can have him bat at 3 and let Ishan keep wickets instead of KL Rahul. There is a reason we have underperformed in Limited overs cricket. Constant chopping changing and a guy who does brilliantly and is an X factor is dropped and mediocrity retained,” Prasad felt.

Think fair would have been to give chance to a man who scored a double hundred in India's last ODI, and in a series where India lost two games and the series.
Have all the time in the world for Gill, but no way you drop a player for scoring a double ton. https://t.co/LbzKKH8ynw

— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) January 9, 2023

“In Eng, Pant scored a hundred in the final ODI and helped India win the series. However, based on T20 form was dropped from ODI team. KL Rahul on the other hand, barring a couple of innings, has failed consistently but retains his place. Performance is not the foremost parameter. Sad,” the former India cricketer tweeted.

On Monday, in the pre-match press conference in Guwahati, Rohit confirmed that Gill will get a chance to open the batting alongside him adding that he is not going to take anything away from Krishan as he has been wonderful for the team. “Both openers (Gill and Kishan) have done really well. But looking at how both have gone through, I think it is fair that we give Gill a chance to have a fair run because in the last games Gill got a lot of runs as well,” Rohit said.

“I am not going to take anything from Ishan. He has been wonderful for us. He got a double hundred and I know what it takes to get a double hundred, it is a great achievement. But just to be honest and be fair to the guys who have done really well before that we need to give those guys enough chances as well,” he added.

After clinching the T20I series 2-1, team India set their eyes on the ODI series, starting on Tuesday at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.

(with IANS inputs)