Tuesday's announcement of India's 2023 ODI World Cup squad brought a few surprises that leave the middle order wide open. With Shreyas Iyer joining as a specialist and both KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan available as keeper-batters, the fight for the number four and five positions is heating up. This tension is highlighted by recent form: Ishan looked sharp at number five against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, while Shreyas struggled to find his rhythm at number four.
The Indian cricket team squad for the ODI World Cup 2023 was announced on Tuesday, with few surprises. Shreyas Iyer was added as a specialist batter, while KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan were added as wicket-keeping batter options. However, the selection of these three batters means that the battle for the No.4 and No.5 slot is still very much alive. Kishan was impressive at No.5 versus Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 match, whereas Shreyas struggled and failed to score big at No.4.
Now that KL Rahul is back and fit, the management has the flexibility to tweak the batting sequence during the Asia Cup's Super 4 stage. Furthermore, since Rahul can keep wickets, India has the luxury of fitting an extra specialist batter into the XI.
The real contest now lies between Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul for the number four slot. While Ishan Kishan's current form makes him indispensable as a batter, Rahul offers the utility of wicket-keeping. However, former legend Sunil Gavaskar suggests that if both are playing, Ishan should take the gloves to avoid putting too much physical strain on Rahul following his serious injury setbacks.
Former spinner Piyush Chawla believes that Ishan Kishan's recent scoring streak in the top order makes him too valuable to leave on the bench. According to Chawla, while Ishan and KL Rahul seem like guaranteed starters, Shreyas Iyer's place in the playing XI is not yet a certainty.