“Since MS Dhoni, Days Of Specialist Wicketkeepers Are Gone,” claims Rahul Dravid. The Indian cricket team’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, must be delighted as India has swept the three-match ODI series against New Zealand after thrashing them by 90 runs in yesterday’s final ODI at Holkar Stadium, Indore.
Before the third ODI, Rahul Dravid spoke with the media and answered some challenging questions about India’s preparedness for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
Rahul Dravid replies that there is no question that the Indian team management is seeking a wicketkeeper-batter for the ODI World Cup and that, regrettably, the practice of having a specialized wicketkeeper has been abandoned after MS Dhoni’s retirement.
The former Indian cricketer claims that they are incredibly fortunate to have two young players in the running, Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat, who have demonstrated their talent in the Vijay Hazare Trophy while, at the international level, Ishan Kishan has performed admirably despite not having played.
It is also unclear who will take Rishabh Pant’s place, given that the injured player will be sidelined for around a year. Rahul Dravid responds by saying that although it is terrible that Pant is injured, they still have other wicketkeeper-batsmen like Sanju Samson and Rahul. He continues by saying that since it is the era of the wicketkeeper-batsman, a wicketkeeper should be able to contribute with the bat as well. For the T20Is, they chose Jitesh Sharma due to his ability to bat and keep wickets. Jitesh Sharma can score runs quickly, and he has demonstrated this talent in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the IPL, according to Rahul Dravid.
In the third ODI, India again outplayed the Kiwis, scoring 385/9 in 50 overs after electing to bat first. The Kiwis, however, lost the game by 90 runs after all of their players were dismissed for 295 in roughly 42 overs.
On January 27, 2023, India and New Zealand played the first match of the three-match Twenty20 International series, with the opening game taking place at Ranchi, Jharkhand’s JSCA International Stadium Complex, which New Zealand won by 21 runs.
