Former India batter Aakash Chopra feels Ishan Kishan‘s lack of ability to rotate strike may towards him as a middle-order batter, going into the World Cup. Kishan, who scored 82 throughout the group stage match towards Pakistan, didn’t get the prospect to bat in India’s first Super 4 match. Against Sri Lanka, Kishan was promoted from no. 5 to no. 4, scoring 33 runs off 61 deliveries as India posted a 213-run whole. While analysing the match, Chopra identified Kishan’s tendency to play too many dot balls, which was earlier referred to as out by former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan.

“Ishan Kishan did not get out to Dunith Wellalage. He was batting alright, although one thing is going to go against Ishan Kishan. He was sent at No. 4, made to bat slightly up the order, as the left-arm spinner was bowling well, which makes a lot of sense. Irfan Pathan was also talking about it on commentary that he is unable to take that many singles. He was playing too many dot balls and this was when you got to bat in the first 20 overs, although the pitch was slightly slow,” Chopra mentioned on his YouTube channel.

“The pitch was slow because the square is the same even though the pitch might be new. You couldn’t roll the pitch after watering it. So it becomes a spinner’s paradise and we saw that, but Ishan Kishan’s ability to rotate strike was a question and it will remain a question mark,” he added.

Chopra, however, was all reward for KL Rahul, who scored a century on his return to motion, for checking all of the packing containers as a middle-order batter.

“KL Rahul looked the most comfortable till the time he was batting. He uses his feet against the spinners and plays the sweep as well. I mean he has got that kind of ability and because of that he validated once again why you want him to be a part of the team in the middle order,” he mentioned.