Team India is heading into a crucial phase in terms of their preparation for the ICC World Cup 2023, which begins in just over two months. Aside from things like potential rosters and tactics, management is responsible for identifying candidates and choosing a perfect team from the talent pool for the tournament.
The Men in Blue had a successful home season earlier in the year, barring a narrowly beaten series against Australia. The nine ODIs played over the course of three months shed some light on how India is evaluating the players. Another factor that has complicated the whole process is the constant issue of injuries.
One such area that suffers a lot due to injuries is the wicketkeeping department. The India team has already lost much in the longer format due to Rishabh Pant’s injury. The problem spills over into the 50+ format, and with an event like the World Cup on the horizon, finding a solution is the need of the hour.
Realistically, India has names to replace Pant in the playing XI and provide an impact with both bat and gloves. KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan are the favorites to be the team’s wicketkeeper at the World Cup, but who among them should make the playing XI is an entirely different question.
On that note, let’s take a look at what these two players bring to the team.
Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul Recent Form
Just considering the ODI format, KL Rahul has scored three fifty in his last eight innings. He, too, is averaging 56.50 in 2023 in the format.
By comparison, Ishan Kishan has only scored 33 runs in the last four innings and his last major hit came with his historic double hundred against Bangladesh, which came by leading off the batting.
Both batsmen had mediocre IPL campaigns by their standards, with Rahul missing out on the second half due to injury. Ishan Kishan recently made his test debut and got the first test fifty from him in the second test draw.
The left-handed batsman will have a chance to impress during the ODI series against West Indies, while Rahul is expected to be fit in time for the 2023 Asian Cup.
