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Rohit Sharma has his say on Ishan Kishan's knock against Pakistan in Asia Cup amid rising KL Rahul debate
Rohit Sharma shared his opinion on Ishan Kishan's knock vs Pakistan in India's Asia Cup opener, with KL Rahul returning to the squad.
Despite a top-order collapse in their Asia Cup 2023 opener against Pakistan on Saturday, India fought back brilliantly through their middle order and posted a respectable total of 266 in 48.5 overs. But the run-chase couldn't take place due to rain and the match was called off as both teams shared a point each.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who was slotted in place of KL Rahul, made a huge impact and narrowly missed out on a century. Batting at no. 5, Kishan hammered 82 runs off 81 balls, packed with nine fours and two sixes. He built a strong partnership with all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who was batting at no. 6. Pandya clattered 87 runs off 90 deliveries, including seven fours and a maximum. With KL Rahul reportedly returning to the squad for the Super 4 stage after clearing his fitness test, there has been a huge debate as to should Kishan be dropped for the Lucknow Super Giants captain.
Also Read | Watch: Kohli, Iyer and Kishan drop 3 catches in 20 balls; get pasting from Shastri for India's sloppy start vs Nepal
Speaking after toss in India's Asia Cup fixture vs Nepal in Pallekele, captain Rohit Sharma also didn't give any hint, but had plenty of praise for his Mumbai Indians teammate. "The way we batted under pressure, Hardik and Ishan batted brilliantly. Ishan showed a lot of maturity and took the game on as well. Good signs for us", he said.
Rahul has been out of action since May this year, when he sustained a hamstring injury and later underwent a surgery. Just days before his Asia Cup selection, he sustained a fresh niggle and proved his fitness at the NCA. It will be a huge dilemma for Rohit and Rahul Dravid, to pick between the two. If Kishan puts in another good performance against Nepal with both bat and gloves, he could keep his place in the squad and Rahul would need to wait.
Rahul could also replace Shreyas Iyer in the playing XI, who failed to impress on his comeback in India's Asia Cup opener. Iyer, who was out for a lengthy period due to injury, was dismissed for 14 runs off nine balls, hitting two fours in the process. With the World Cup coming up, the Indian team management will be aiming to use the Asia Cup as a platform to solve their team selection issues and field the perfect X.
