'Ishan Kishan a strong character who maintains a good team atmosphere': Suresh Raina

Former India batter Suresh Raina heaped praise on Ishan Kishan, describing the wicketkeeper-batter as a “strong character” who helps maintain a positive atmosphere in the dressing room.

Kishan has been in solid form in India’s recent fixtures, especially in the 50-over format. Not only did he score a fifty in each of India’s three ODIs against the West Indies in the Caribbean, he also produced a fighting 82 off 81 balls against a rampaging Pakistan attack last Saturday. The knock helped India recover from a top-order collapse and post a competitive 266 on the board before rain played spoilsport.

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Not only did Raina hail Kishan’s positive influence, he also described him as an ideal candidate for the opener’s slot. The Uttar Pradesh cricketer also made mention of his performances for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions in the Indian Premier League when the left-handers played alongside one another.

“I always said that Ishan Kishan has to open because he is a strong character who maintains a good team atmosphere. He worked really hard even during those days. Since he hails from Ranchi he spoke to MS Dhoni, and everyone wants to be like Dhoni there. Also, because of the way Ishan contributed to Jharkhand, Dhoni told me to observe his wicket-keeping progress,” Raina said on the InsidersLive show on JioCinema.

“So, I told Finch that if Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum aren’t playing, then Ishan Kishan should open, I’ll bat at No 3, and you can decide the rest of the batting lineup. I remember in one match, he hit 4-5 sixes in Rajkot against Mumbai Indians, and the way he showed intent is what a team needs. Just like Rishabh Pant, who keeps laughing and maintains good team bonding, that’s what’s crucial,” added Raina, who represented India in 226 ODIs and 78 T20Is besides 18 Tests.

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Kishan was retained in India’s playing XI for their Asia Cup Super Four clash against Pakistan in Colombo that is currently taking place across two days thanks to incessant rain. Rahul retained his spot in the middle-order as the wicketkeeper-batter while KL Rahul replaced Shreyas Iyer, who was ruled out due to back spasms.

The second Indo-Pak contest of the 16th Asia Cup was shifted to the Reserve Day after heavy rain made its way to the R Premadasa Stadium. India got off to a strong start and were 147/2 after 24.1 overs before rain halted play.