"Virat Kohli Sacrifices His...": Ex-India Star On Team's Selection Headache vs New Zealand
NDTV
After easing past Sri Lanka, India have taken a 1-0 lead against New Zealand in the ODI series
After easing past Sri Lanka, India have taken a 1-0 lead against New Zealand in the ODI series. With KL Rahul unavailable for the New Zealand series due to personal reasons and Shreyas Iyer ruled out with an injury, opener Ishan Kishan has been roped in to complement Suryakumar Yadav in the Indian middle-order. Notably, Kishan did not feature in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, while Suryakumar only played the last game.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar suggested Virat Kohli to sacrifice his no. 3 slot, which might solve India's selection headache.
He feels Kohli should give up his spot to in-form opener Shubman Gill, and bat at no.4 instead, something which he had done in 2014 to accommodate Ambati Rayudu in the playing XI.
"It's going to be still tricky. One guy is going to be really upset. I have got an idea to sort this mess out. Have Shubman Gill bat at No. 3, he seems like he can handle that position, and then Virat Kohli sacrifices his No. 3 for a No. 4. He has done that before to Ambati Rayudu once, many years back against Sri Lanka. So that could be a way to sort it out. Ishan Kishan after his double hundred, left and right-handed combination at the top is not such a bad idea," Manjrekar said on Star Sports.
Talking about the 1st ODI, Shubman Gill scored a brilliant 208 as India held on to beat New Zealand by 12 runs in the first One-Day International in Hyderabad on Wednesday despite a blistering century from Michael Bracewell. India looked to be coasting to victory with New Zealand in deep trouble at 131-6 while chasing 350 after opener Gill made just the 10th double hundred in ODI history.
