As the ODI series between India and New Zealand approaches next month, the controversy surrounding the wicketkeeper-batter pairing has taken centre stage again before the squad is announced. Although the role of KL Rahul as the first-choice wicketkeeper is well established, the more pertinent issue is the question of who is to be considered as the backup of the latter in the 50-over format, Rishabh Pant or Ishan Kishan.
There seems to be an enticement to the selectors to lean towards Ishan Kishan, whose form of late has kept him in the fray. This skill to seize opportunities was apparent in Kishan when the alteration of the BCCI plans at the last moment won him a place in the T20 world cup Indian team. But whether his present momentum should prevail over the case of Rishabh Pant who has not even been accorded a regular run in ODIs is the question.
The role of the back-up wicketkeeper in the ODI position in India has been in disarray. Kishan immediately made a splash with a historic 200 against Bangladesh in December 2022 after being ruled out after a car accident in late 2022 when Pant was declared dead. He has since made a name as a consistent, even taking the place of a first-choice wicketkeeper when KL Rahul is on an injury leave in mid-2023. Kishan scored four half-centuries in a row which included an important 82 against Pakistan during the Asia Cup that helped India to come out of a precarious situation.
That purple patch made him be selected to the ODI world cup, but he only played in two matches and was later sidelined. In late 2023, a break in to his mental health and his withdrawal off the list of central contracts of the BCCI further marginalised him in all formats.
Pant, however, returned to the competitive scene in IPL 2024 after over one year break of the game.
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