Ricky Ponting, the former captain of the Australian cricket team, believes that wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan could be the game-changer for India in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. Ponting recently disclosed details of a conversation he had with Indian captain Virat Kohli.
Ishan Kishan was included in the Indian squad for the final after KL Rahul was sidelined due to a thigh injury sustained during the IPL 2023 season.
Scheduled to take place at The Oval in England from 7th June, the WTC final presents an opportunity for Kishan to make an impact in the absence of the dynamic Rishabh Pant, who is still recovering from a car accident he had in December last year. Ponting emphasized that if India chooses to play Kishan or Suryakumar Yadav, who is among the reserve players, the team should adopt an aggressive approach as it could be their best chance to clinch the WTC title.
“Ishan Kishan brings another element of surprise to the team. If you observe his style of play, he closely resembles Rishabh Pant in terms of his ability to bat and keep wickets in the middle order,” Ponting stated, as quoted by the news agency PTI.