Rahul Dravid: The Indian cricket team is facing a conundrum with its wicketkeeper position as the 2023 World Cup approaches. With Rishabh Pant currently injured and KL Rahul unavailable for the ongoing New Zealand series due to personal reasons, Ishan Kishan has been brought in as a replacement.
During a press conference ahead of the 3rd ODI against New Zealand, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid was asked about the team’s search for a wicketkeeper-batsman similar to himself for the World Cup.
Rahul Dravid, who famously donned the wicketkeeper’s gloves for Team India at the 2003 World Cup, gave a special mention to former wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni before praising the younger generation of wicketkeepers.
Rahul Dravid acknowledged that the role of specialist wicketkeepers has changed since the days of Dhoni and that the current players in contention, such as Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat, are also skilled batsmen.
Dravid About Kishan
He also mentioned that Kishan, who is currently keeping wicket for India, was also brought into the Test squad for the first two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. This is due to his impressive performances in limited-overs formats, including his sensational double-century against Bangladesh in the third ODI in December 2020.
Rahul Dravid also named Srikar Bharat, Jitesh Sharma, Rahul, Sanju Samson, and the injured Rishabh Pant as players in contention for the wicketkeeper-batsman position for the World Cup. He emphasized that with the current state of the game, it is important for teams to have a wicketkeeper-batsman who can contribute significantly with the bat.
Jitesh Sharma, who earned his maiden call-up for the Sri Lanka T20Is, has also kept his place in the Indian T20I side for the ongoing series against New Zealand. Dravid praised Sharma for his ability to score runs at a quick pace, as seen in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy and in the Indian Premier League.
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However, Dravid also acknowledged that the team management will have to take into consideration the form and performances of the players leading up to the World Cup. He stated that the team will have to decide who will be the best fit for the side based on the conditions and the opposition they will be facing.
Indian Team Management
It is clear that the Indian team management has a tough decision to make as they solidify their wicketkeeper-batsman position for the World Cup. With a plethora of talented players to choose from, it will be interesting to see who will be given the opportunity to showcase their skills and prove their worth to the team.
As the World Cup approaches, it’s important that the Indian team management takes the best decision that will help them to win the world cup. The team management will have to consider the form and performances of the players leading up to the World Cup, and also the conditions and the opposition they will be facing.
The Indian cricket team has a chance to make history by winning the World Cup for the third time, and the wicketkeeper-batsman position will play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the team.
It will be interesting to see how the team management tackles this conundrum and who they ultimately choose to fill this vital role.
