Ishan Kishan will replace KL Rahul in the World Test Championship final against Australia next month. Rahul suffered an injury to his upper right thigh during the present IPL 2023. Rahul, captain of the Lucknow Super Giants, withdrew from the WTC final last week due to an injury he sustained while playing fielding for his team in an IPL match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. A recent article clarified the reasoning for the controversial choice of uncapped Ishan rather than the more seasoned Wriddhiman Saha as Rahul’s successor.
Saha was anticipated to be picked by the selectors for the WTC final given his recent strong performances in the IPL 2023, which featured his wicketkeeping as well. He last played for Team India in the Wankhede Test match in December 2021. Fans on social media speculated that, much as selectors had re-called Ajinkya Rahane on the basis of his experience, the same may be done with Saha.
Here’s why Ishan Kishan was chosen as a backup wicketkeeper to KL Rahul
According to a PTI report, the selection committee under interim chief Shiv Sunder Das favoured Ishan for the position, and his selection as the backup wicketkeeper option in the Border-Gavaskar series only showed continuity. Saha’s name was never even brought up during the discussion for the second keeper’s role.
The situation in India also caused a stir. Abhimanyu Easwaran was left off the list of players on standby, which included Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, and Suryakumar Yadav. A public statement calling into question the wisdom of his omission of the Maharashtra batter, who is more recognized for his performances with CSK in the IPL.
In the end, it all comes down to the numbers, and the numbers are what count most. The fact that no IPL team has signed Easwaran and that Bengal hasn’t won a knockout game in a few seasons both worked against him.
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