'Mediocrity Retained': Venkatesh Prasad Slams Indian Management For Dropping Ishan Kishan

Prasad said that both Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan could have been drafted into the Playing 11 for India's ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Kishan had scored 147-ball 215 in the final ODI against Bangladesh. ( Image Source :AFP )

Even though Ishan Kishan recently scored the fastest-ever double hundred in the ODI series against Bangladesh, seems like it wasn't good enough to merit him a place in the series against Sri Lanka.

While explaining the management's decision to go ahead with Shubman Gill instead of Ishan Kishan, captain Rohit Sharma on the eve of the 1st ODI in Guwahati said: "It is unfortunate that we won’t be able to play Ishan, but it is fair to give Gill that run looking at how things have panned out in the last 8-9 months."

However, former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad does not seem impressed by this justification. He slammed the management for not giving Kishan a place in the side even after scoring a double century.

"Think fair would have been to give chance to a man who scored a double hundred in India’s last ODI, and in a series where India lost two games and the series. Have all the time in the world for Gill, but no way you drop a player for scoring a double ton," Prasad wrote in a Tweet.

"There is a reason we have underperformed in Limited overs cricket. Constant chopping changing and a guy who does brilliantly and is an X factor is dropped and mediocrity retained," he said in a Twitter thread.

In Eng, Pant scored a hundred in the final ODI and helped India win the series. However based on T20 form was dropped from ODI team. KL Rahul on the other hand barring a couple of innings has failed consistently but retains his place.Performance is not the foremost parameter. Sad

— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) January 9, 2023

Explaining his stance, Prasad said: "And if one is convinced to play Gill, then can have him bat at 3 and let Ishan keep wickets instead of KL Rahul."

Meanwhile, India gear up to take on Sri Lanka in the three-match ODI series starting on January 10. While the Hardik Pandya-led side beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in the T20I series, senior campaigners Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have returned to the squad ahead the ODI series.

Jasprit Bumrah, though, has been ruled out of the series after experiencing stiffness in his back while bowling in the nets at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He has been out of action since September last year but was expected to make his comeback in this series.