Ahead of the first ODI game against Sri Lanka, Team India captain Rohit Sharma told the reporters that he would open the batting with Shubman Gill and not Ishan Kishan.
Rohit clarified that he’s just being fair and giving equal chances to all and not taking anything away from Kishan, who scored a wonderful double ton in his last ODI game against Bangladesh.
Responding to Rohit’s statements, veteran Indian fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has expressed his displeasure and criticized the former for his choice.
Prasad took to Twitter and posted a series of tweets in which he seemed unhappy with Rohit’s decision of not including Kishan in the team’s playing eleven for the first ODI against the Islanders.
Prasad retweeting Sharma’s press conference video and wrote:
“Think fair would have been to give chance to a man who scored a double hundred in India’s last ODI and in a series where India lost two games. Have all the time in the world for Gill, but no way you drop a player for scoring a double ton.
“And if one is convinced to play Gill , then can have him bat at 3 and let Ishan keep wickets instead of KL Rahul.
“There is a reason we have underperformed in Limited overs cricket. Constant chopping changing and a guy who does brilliantly and is an X factor is dropped and mediocrity retained.”
“In Eng, Pant scored a hundred in the final ODI and helped India win the series. However based on T20 form was dropped from ODI team. KL Rahul on the other hand barring a couple of innings has failed consistently but retains his place. Performance is not the foremost parameter. Sad,” he concluded.
And if one is convinced to play Gill , then can have him bat at 3 and let Ishan keep wickets instead of KL Rahul.
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) January 9, 2023
In Eng, Pant scored a hundred in the final ODI and helped India win the series. However based on T20 form was dropped from ODI team. KL Rahul on the other hand barring a couple of innings has failed consistently but retains his place.Performance is not the foremost parameter. Sad
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) January 9, 2023
