NEW DELHI: One spot. Three contenders. And no obvious answer. The backup option for
KL Rahul's wicketkeeper spot has quietly turned into a happy headache for the men's senior selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar.
With the T20 World Cup around the corner, the ODIs have taken a backseat. However, the race for the second wicketkeeper’s role in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11, has heated up, with
Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel the contenders.
In the ODI series against South Africa, Pant was slotted as the backup option, with Jurel picked purely as a batter. With Ishan bolting back into the T20 national reckoning after an exhilarating campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he has emerged as a strong contender.
Ishan, who led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title, hammered 517 runs and was brought into India's squad for the T20 World Cup as a backup opener. Kishan also became only the second player to score a century (off 45 balls) in the tournament final.
After a two-year absence from the national team, Ishan Kishan’s stock is rising again. The southpaw was asked to take rest by the BCCI after his blistering 39-ball 125 against Karnataka in Jharkhand’s opening fixture of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy but has now been instructed by the selectors to play two more matches, TimesofIndia.com has learnt.
“He (Ishan Kishan) has been given rest by the BCCI team. He has gone back home. He will be back on January 2,” Kumar Kushagra, Jharkhand’s stand-in captain, had said at the toss ahead of their match against Rajasthan.
Kishan, who is in Patna, will join the Jharkhand squad on January 2 and will play the fixtures against Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, scheduled for January 3 and 6, respectively. “He is in the contention for sure,” a source tracking the developments tells TimesofIndia.com.
The 27-year-old was very close to a return for the ODI series against South Africa, but his selection didn’t get the required support from the men who matter.
“When I was not selected in the Indian team, I felt quite bad because I was doing well. But I told myself that if I am not selected with this sort of performance, then maybe I have to do more. Maybe I have to make my team win. Maybe we have to do well as a unit,” Kishan had said after the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final.
If Kishan gets the nod, it could be a bit unfair to Rishabh Pant as the Test vice-captain has been warming the bench in ODIs for over a year now. He has been playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but the Delhi captain's returns have been mixed: in three matches, he has managed 97 runs, including a 70.
Jurel, meanwhile, batting at No. 3 for Uttar Pradesh, is in red-hot form, hammering 307 runs in three matches, including his maiden List A hundred against Baroda. He was also picked for South Africa ODIs but as a specialist batter.
Middle order muddle
Fit-again captain Shubman Gill is all set to make a comeback. This means Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored his maiden ODI century against the Proteas, will be back on the bench.
Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer will also return for the New Zealand ODIs and could force Ruturaj Gaikwad out of the Playing XI. TimesofIndia.com has also learnt that the team management wants at least a couple of left-handed batters in the batting order in an otherwise right-hander-heavy line-up.
In the ODI series against South Africa, India played Washington Sundar at No.6 and No.5 in the first two matches and then included Tilak Varma in the playing XI for the third game.
Further down, it will be interesting to see whether selectors opt for a left-handed wicketkeeper-batter to play as a specialist in the middle-order. Against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Kishan batted at No. 6 and slammed a 33-ball century.
He sent a strong message to the selectors and has thrown his hat into the ring if they are looking for an in-form southpaw in the middle order. Pant, too, is batting at No. 5 for Delhi.
There isn’t much separating Kishan and Pant, but Kishan is a strong fielder in the outfield, unlike India's Test vice-captain. This gives him an edge.
Arshdeep to turn up for Punjab
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will represent Punjab in two Vijay Hazare Trophy fixtures on January 3 and 6. The 26-year-old missed the initial round after being asked to rest due to workload management, TimesofIndia.com has learnt.
Arshdeep, who has been playing constant cricket since the Indian Premier League (IPL), last played on December 19 in the fifth and final T20I against South Africa. With Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested for the three-match series against New Zealand, the left-arm quick, who impressed with the new ball against South Africa, is also in contention for the ODIs.
The squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand is likely to be picked in the first week of January. The first game will be played on January 11 in Vadodara, and the ODI team is likely to assemble on January 7 or 8 in the city.