Asia Cup 2023: Gautam Gambhir engage in heated exchange with Mohammad Kaif over KL Rahul vs Ishan Kishan debate

The stunning performance of Ishan Kishan in the highly exciting fixture between India and Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday has given birth to another debate, and that is who should be the first choice wicket-keeper for the men in blue in the upcoming ICC men’s ODI World Cup 2023.

KL Rahul‘s comeback to the national side has posed a big threat for Kishan to solidify his spot in the playing XI. Amid the ongoing situations, two former Indian cricketers, Gautam Gambhir and Mohammad Kaif, were involved in a fierce debate over the first choice wicket-keeper for India. While Kaif preferred  Rahul,  Gambhir went for Kishan, giving the reason that not big names but the current performance and form of the player lets you win matches.

Kaif advocated KL’s spot in the team, presenting the point that he is not out of the team due to bad form but injury, and despite Ishan’s remarkable performances with the Willow in recent times, he has to wait for his opportunity.

‘Ishan Kishan will have to wait for his next opportunity’

“Kl Rahul is a proven match-winner. At No. 5, his numbers are fabulous. So Rahul Dravid knows, there is that clarity in his mind that…remember, Mohammed Shami was dropped today. So, when KL Rahul is fit again, he will be playing in the XI and Ishan Kishan will have to wait for his next opportunity. Ishan is doing all that he needs. He scored in that series against West Indies…his graph is only going up and is getting better by the day. He has a double century to his name as well. He has class and talent but he cannot replace Rahul yet because the latter is nit playing because of bad form, but due to an injury,” said Kaif, advocating his opinion of Rahul as the frontline wicket-keeper.

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Countering his point, Gambhir came up with the point that one cannot just rely on big names when preparing for a big tournament like the World Cup; rather, give preference to the current performance and form.

“Had Kohli or Rohit made those four consecutive fifties, would you have said the same thing about KL Rahul? When you are preparing to win a World Cup, you don’t look at a name, you look at the form of a player that could win you the trophy,” Gambhir said.

Kishan has scored his fourth consecutive fifty in ODIs. His calm and composed knock of 82 runs against arch-rivals Pakistan has solidified his claim as the frontline wicket-keeper batter for the Indian side in the upcoming World Cup.

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