Gautam Gambhir believes that Ishan Kishan should be Rohit Sharma's opening partner in ODIs and that the 24-year-old should be given more playing time.
Kishan broke all sorts of records earlier this month when he transformed his first ODI hundred into a double ton against Bangladesh. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed Chris Gayle's record for the fastest ODI double century.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Gambhir said that the debate over who should be Sharma's top-order partner is over and that Kishan should take his place. The former India opener also wants the Jharkhand batter to get more playing time with the team.
"I'm amazed we're discussing this, because someone's got a double-hundred in the previous innings," Gambhir said when asked who he would like to see as Rohit's opening partner. "The discussion is over. It has to be Ishan Kishan. Someone who can get a double-hundred in those conditions against a reasonable attack - especially at [their] home - should play."
"He got what 200 by the 35th over mark? You can't look at anyone beyond Ishan Kishan. He has to be given a longer run. He can also keep wickets as well, so he can do two jobs for you. So for me, that discussion shouldn't be there. If someone else had got a double-hundred, I think we would've gone gung-ho over that individual, but it's not the case with Ishan Kishan. Because we still continue to talk about other players. For me, that debate is over."
When asked about his ideal ODI XI for India, Gambhir suggested that Suryakumar Yadav can strengthen the squad in the 50-over format. The former opener also backed Shreyas Iyer at No.5 because he believes the Mumbai hitter has overcome his troubles with the short ball.
"It's very difficult to look beyond Rohit and Ishan Kishan to open the batting, Virat at three, Surya at four, [and] Shreyas at five, because he's been incredible in the last one-and-a-half years," Gambhir said of his ideal India XI. "Yes, he's had issues against the short ball, but he's been able to manage it. You can't be the best against everything but if you're able to manage it and got the numbers going for you, you can't look beyond Shreyas at No. 5 and Hardik [Pandya] at 6."
Starting January 3, 2023, India will host Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series, followed by a three-match ODI series. The ODI series will begin on January 10 with the opening encounter in Guwahati, followed by the second match in Kolkata, and the series finale in Thiruvananthapuram.
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh
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