Team India produced a brilliant performance in the third and final ODI of the series against Bangladesh, registering a colossal 227-run win in Chattogram on Saturday. Having already lost the series after close defeats in the first two matches, the Indian team, without its captain Rohit Sharma, stepped up to avoid a series clean-sweep as youngster Ishan Kishan turned up the heat with an incredible double century.
Kishan became only the fourth Indian to score a double ton in ODIs, and also broke West Indies legend Chris Gayle's world record for the fastest to reach the figure. Gayle had reached the 200-run mark in 138 deliveries; Kishan did the same in 126 balls.
Following the game, Kishan received wishes from the Indian cricket fraternity over his stellar outing; however, India's veteran wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes that India have already decided on who will assume the keeper duties in the fifty-over World Cup next year – and it's not Ishan Kishan.
“I think from the mindset of team India, they're trying to get the best out of KL Rahul. Otherwise, Rahul would've opened in the last game when Rohit got injured. They want him to bat at 5 and get more experience there,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz when asked whether Ishan Kishan could've been given the wicketkeeping gloves in the final ODI against Bangladesh.
{{/usCountry}}“I think from the mindset of team India, they're trying to get the best out of KL Rahul. Otherwise, Rahul would've opened in the last game when Rohit got injured. They want him to bat at 5 and get more experience there,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz when asked whether Ishan Kishan could've been given the wicketkeeping gloves in the final ODI against Bangladesh.
{{/usCountry}}“I know he (Ishan Kishan ) could've filled in this game, but they're looking at him as a keeper in the World Cup so far; whether it is right or not, time will tell. In this moment, he looks like the keeper so he will keep doing that for sure,” Karthik further said.
KL Rahul had praised Kishan for his exemplary performance in the Chattogram ODI, stating that the youngster grabbed the opportunity “with both hands.”
"This was expected from our team. Virat and Kishan set it up for us. He (Kishan) grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He batted brilliantly. Virat also used his experience and guided him," Rahul had said in the post-match presentation.