“You want a fit and first-choice wicketkeeper” – Sanjay Bangar picks Ishan Kishan over KL Rahul for 2023 Asia Cup

Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar has picked Ishan Kishan over KL Rahul as the first-choice wicketkeeper for the 2023 Asia Cup.

The 50-year-old wants the think tank to opt for a fully fit keeper in the 50-over tournament. He further warned the Men in Blue not to play Rahul, who has a slight niggle, and is prone to injury.

The statement comes as Kishan smashed three back-to-back half-centuries in the ODI series in West Indies, which India won 2-1. The left-handed opener returned with scores of 52, 55 and 77.

Speaking to Star Sports, Bangar said:

“Ishan Kishan has done nothing wrong because he has been a regular wicketkeeper. You want a fit and first-choice wicketkeeper instead of someone who is half-fit or doubtful.”

He continued:

“I think KL Rahul should play as a keeper-batter, not a specialist batter because nobody bats in the top 5. One of the top 5 needs to be a wicketkeeper if you want six bowling options. It provides the proper balance to the team.”

Kishan will now look to grab the opportunity in the Asia Cup with both hands ahead of the 50-over World Cup.

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“KL Rahul is carrying a niggle” – Ajit Agarkar

BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar recently confirmed that Rahul is carrying a niggle but is likely to recover ahead of the high-voltage game between India and Pakistan in Pallekale, Sri Lanka, on September 2.

He told the reporters, as quoted by Star Sports:

“KL Rahul is carrying a niggle. But we expect him to get fit by the second or third game of the Asia Cup.”

For the uninitiated, Rahul suffered a thigh injury that ruled him out of the Indian Premier League in May. He underwent a successful surgery in the same month and recovered from the injury following rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore. He, however, recently sustained a niggle during his stint at the NCA.

Rahul has played two match-winning knocks in ODIs for Team India earlier this year. The right-handed batter scored 64 off 103 and 75 off 91 against Sri Lanka and Australia, respectively.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.