Brett Lee names player who should open for India instead of KL Rahul or Shikhar Dhawan

Former Australian pacer Brett Lee has backed Ishan Kishan to replace KL Rahul as an opener in the Indian Cricket Team ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup in 2023. Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Brett Lee said that Ishan just scored the fastest ODI double hundred in the world and if he shows consistency and remains fit, he should definitely open for India at the World Cup. The 46-year-old called on Indian selectors to back Ishan to make it into the World Cup squad. Rohit Sharma is certain to play the coveted tournament with him being the India captain in the format. 

"With this deadly double, Ishan has staked a strong claim to open for India in the ODI World Cup at home in 2023. Will this happen? I don't know. Should it happen? Hell yeah, it should. The guy just scored the fastest 200 in ODI history. But if he can show consistency, stay fit, and be around the next few months, he should be a sure-shot opener for India at the World Cup," the former Australian pacer said. 

"Back Ishan to make it in the World Cup squad with an eye on the future and clearly, he would be on a high after that knock as he should be. However, a word of caution. Too much praise had led to cobwebs in the head. So my advice to Ishan Kishan would be... forget about the milestone, forget about the double hundred as soon as you can. There are bigger milestones to achieve, and higher peaks to scale. Ishan Kishan has to forget about the euphoria of his double hundred. Just focus on the process stay fit and keep smashing big runs," he added. 

Ishan Kishan's double hundred

Ishan recently made headlines after he scored a double hundred in the third ODI match against Bangladesh. Ishan became only the fourth Indian hitter to surpass the 200-run threshold in ODI cricket with a score of 210 off just 131 balls. He has entered the exclusive list with Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag, and Sachin Tendulkar. This was the world's fastest double century by a batter in an ODI cricket after West Indies legend Chris Gayle. Ishan's double century gave India a decisive 227-run victory in the game.

Ishan's performance in the game led to people calling for his inclusion in the Indian ODI squad for next year's World Cup. Cricket lovers in India want Ishan to replace Shikhar Dhawan or KL Rahul as an opener. It would be interesting to see if Ishan can secure a place in the Indian squad for the 2023 World Cup based on the double hundred he smashed against Bangladesh. 

Image: IPL/AP