Ishan Kishan walked in at No 4 against Afghanistan on Wednesday, at a moment when both Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal had failed to own the day. What followed was not just a match-winning innings. It was a selection statement directed at the wrong people.
For nearly four years, KL Rahul has been India’s undisputed first-choice wicketkeeper in ODIs. His spot has occasionally been debated in Tests, and he is no longer part of the T20 plans, but in the fifty-over format he has made the middle-order his own. Dropping to No 6 on Gautam Gambhir’s insistence — the role of the finisher, not the most comfortable assignment for a specialist keeper — he has done the job without fuss. Rishabh Pant never came close to displacing him. Sanju Samson was never seriously considered. Dhruv Jurel and Jitesh Sharma, ditto. For all the names thrown at Rahul’s spot, none of them stuck.
Now, for the first time, Rahul has genuine competition in Ishan. But the player sweating is not Rahul.
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Ishan did something similar to Samson ahead of the T20 World Cup earlier this year — forced his way into a settled squad, made the selectors reconsider, and left Samson watching from outside. He is doing it again in ODIs, only the consequences reach further up the order. This time he has three matches against Afghanistan and a full England series to press the case.
At Lucknow, Ishan showed something his T20 record already suggested but his ODI returns had not yet confirmed: that he can pace an innings. He took 52 deliveries to reach fifty, then exploded to 125 off 79, the acceleration precisely what the format demands. The technical detail was more telling than the numbers. He scored his first boundary on the off-side only after crossing fifty — until then, deliberately working through the leg side as he settled into the conditions. When Rashid Khan came around the wicket, he made a mid-innings adjustment, closing his shoulders slightly to open up the off-side and play inside-out shots. These are not the instincts of a player riding form. They are the instincts of a batsman in complete control of his game.
Indian ODI opener Rohit Sharma. (FILE photo)
There is a reason the selectors delayed naming the squad for the England ODIs. They wanted to see first-hand where their options stood against Afghanistan, with Ishan as the designated back-up opener. Virat Kohli’s injury brought Jaiswal in at the top alongside Rohit. Both failed. Ishan walked in at No 4 and took the game away. Before the England tour, there are now questions to answer — and only one match in Chennai left to answer them.
Kohli looks assured at No 3. Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Rahul follow. The conversation is at the top. If Rohit does not make a significant score in Chennai, the selectors face a genuine dilemma — though he could still board the flight to England, the remaining matches in this series may prove the clincher. Ishan’s value to the management extends beyond his batting: he offers a back-up wicketkeeper, a second opener, and a left-hander in a top order that otherwise has none. He can be used as a floater in the top four. Crucially, he can be accommodated without dropping Rahul. If Rahul’s form does dip, a slot opens at No 6 for an all-rounder — options for which are plenty.
India want their three openers settled as early as possible, giving them maximum game time in the twelve months before the next World Cup. If Ishan was a last-minute entrant in the T20 World Cup squad earlier this year, this time he has announced his arrival early. He intends to stay.
