Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin has endorsed a great batter to take Rishabh Pant’s spot in the Indian lineup after the team for the first two Test matches against Australia was recently announced. Rishabh Pant is injured and will not play. Rishabh Pant, an all-format wicketkeeper-batter for India who was injured in a horrible vehicle accident on December 30, is expected to miss numerous major competitions during the current 2023 season.
Due to injuries sustained in a recent car accident, the Delhi Capitals (DC) captain will miss the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and is also ineligible to play in the ICC World Cup. Ishan Kishan, the Indian opener, is a great candidate for the open wicketkeeper position, according to former Indian captain Azharuddin.
Following their outstanding performances in the limited-overs format, opener Kishan and middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav were called up for the Test match. The top-ranked T20I hitter Suryakumar produced a match-winning century against Sri Lanka to solidify his position in the Indian squad, while opener Kishan slammed a sensational double century in Bangladesh.
“Ishan Kishan has been selected in the Indian Test team on his recent form I think he will be a stronger contender for wicket-keeper batsman option. He is a left-handed batsman,” Azhar told the news agency PTI in an interview. Showering massive praise on an in-form Suryakumar, former Indian skipper Azharuddin hailed the star batter as India’s next top player across formats.
In the first One Day International (ODI) against New Zealand, wicketkeeper-batter Kishan—who was passed over by the Indian think tank during the just-finished Sri Lanka series—is positioned in the middle order. Shreyas Iyer sustained a back injury in the lead-up to the first ODI against the Black Caps, and former vice-captain KL Rahul is unable to play owing to personal obligations.
Gloveman Kishan made his international debut in 2021 at the Narendra Modi Stadium against the reigning world champions, England. The 24-year-old has represented the Asian powerhouse in 24 T20 matches and 10 ODIs. The first of a three-match series between India and New Zealand will take place on Wednesday at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.
