Mohammad Kaif shared his thoughts on India’s batting line-up before the T20I series against England next month. The Indian team will play five T20Is and three ODIs in the UK.
In the ongoing ODI series against Afghanistan, Ishan Kishan has performed well, maintaining his strong form from the IPL. He only got into the playing XI because Virat Kohli is out with a hamstring injury. With Kishan’s good performance, there is speculation about Kohli’s place on the England tour. However, Kaif believes Kohli’s position is secure as long as he is part of the squad.
Kaif suggested that either Kishan or Shreyas Iyer could bat at No. 4 after Kohli. He mentioned that the No. 5 position could be a competition between spin-bowling all-rounders Washington Sundar and Axar Patel. For slots 6 and 7, Kaif selected KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, considering next year’s 50-over World Cup.
“You cannot shake Virat Kohli. I am talking about ODIs, at number three, it is not possible for someone to take his place. When a big tournament comes, the batting order will remain the same. If Ishan plays, he won’t bat at three; he would go lower. I believe it will be Kohli at three, Shreyas or Ishan at four, Axar or Sundar at five, KL at six, and Hardik at seven. I think this will be the team for the World Cup,” he said on his YouTube channel.
Kaif argued that despite Kishan’s impressive performances, he may have to wait for his chance during the ODI leg of the England tour since KL Rahul is the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter, excelling in recent years.
“What KL Rahul has done at six secures his place, and he will only keep wickets. This situation allows some experimentation with Ishan. KL is a proven player and is fit now. This question has come up before, but someone else will have to wait. His form is great, and he brings a finishing touch. Ishan will have to wait for his opportunity until Rohit and Kohli are gone,” he added.
Ishan Kishan can be a captaincy material as well: Mohammad Kaif
Kaif believes Kishan can soon become a regular in the ODI team. He sees potential in Kishan for captaincy, pointing to his strong performance as stand-in captain for Sunrisers Hyderabad during this year’s IPL while Pat Cummins was injured.
“Ishan Kishan can also be suitable for captaincy. He is batting well and has a sharp mind. He captained effectively in the IPL and won games for his team. His time will come too,” he said.