Team India is constantly trying different batting combinations ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup in order to get the right balance before the marquee event begins.
Young opening batters Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan have performed really well in the limited opportunities they have got in the blue jersey but it has become almost impossible for the team management to play both of them together.
Sanjay Manjrekar suggests an idea to sort the Shubman Gill vs Ishan Kishan debate
Shubman Gill was one of the most consistent batters for the Indian team in the ODI format in 2022. He grabbed his opportunities with both hands. On the other hand, explosive Ishan Kishan scored an incredible double ton against Bangladesh. While Kishan provides an explosive game at the top, Gill provides solidity.
Selecting one of either Gill or Ishan as the opener has become a headache for the selectors. Team India’s former batter Sanjay Manjrekar came up with an Idea that can help bring both of these batters in the playing XI.
“It’s going to be still tricky. One guy is going to be really upset. I have got an idea to sort this mess out. Have Shubman Gill bat at No. 3, he seems like he can handle that position, and then Virat Kohli sacrifices his No. 3 for a No. 4,” Manjrekar said during a discussion on the Star Sports show ‘Game Plan’.
Manjrekar mentioned that Kohli had earlier sacrificed his No. 3 batting position for Ambati Rayudu ahead of the 2019 ODI World Cup,”He has done that before to Ambati Rayudu once, many years back against Sri Lanka. So that could be a way to sort it out. Ishan Kishan after his double hundred, left and right-handed combination at the top is not such a bad idea.”
Virat Kohli has got his best numbers while batting at the number 3 spot. It will be quite interesting to see if the Indian team management tries pushing Virat down to number 4 position. Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the forthcoming ODI series against New Zealand, beginning on January 18 and hence the team management actually has the option to push Virat down to number 4 or bring in someone like Suryakumar Yadav into the playing XI.