Former Team India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels that Ishan Kishan is on a roll as he is showcasing his batting skills with the willow in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand.
He also highlighted that Sanju Samson, who is being preferred ahead of Kishan for the wicket-keeper`s role, is struggling to deliver performances with the bat.
“Sanju Samson got out off the first ball. He got out in the last two matches as well, and Ishan Kishan is playing well, however much he is playing,” he said.
“Ishan Kishan played a short but destructive knock this time too. He batted incredibly well, and by the time his wicket fell at 53, he had made his runs, and he is not stopping anytime soon. So who is ahead in this race?,” added the former cricketer.
Chopra then pointed out that Team India`s management dropped Shubman Gill and opted to go ahead with Samson. He also said that considering the recent outings from Samson, the Team India`s think tank won`t be able to stay with him for long.
“You will have to ask a question. We dropped Gill because there was a new philosophy or ideology, and went towards Sanju Samson, but it seems like you won`t be able to stay with him for long. If you see their numbers lately, they seem identical,” he said.
Currently, the “Men in Blue” have already sealed the series by taking a lead of 3-0 against the “Black Caps”.
The fourth T20I match between the teams is scheduled to be played on January 28 at the ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
Suryakumar Yadav-led men will soon engage in the T20 World Cup 2026, starting from February 7. They will open their global showpiece campaign by playing a clash against the United States of America (USA) on the same date at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
They are placed in Group A of the tournament along with teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States of America (USA).
India`s updated T20I squad
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi.
(With ANI Inputs)
