"He's Doing The Job India Needs": Cheteshwar Pujara Defends Ishan Kishan Amid Questions Over Lack Of Big Scores

Cheteshwar Pujara has backed Ishan Kishan's aggressive approach at No. 3 in India's ongoing T20I series, arguing that the wicketkeeper-batter's contribution should be judged by his impact on the team rather than the size of his individual scores. Pujara has also praised Naman Dhir's emergence as a useful bowling option, pointing to the all-rounder's control, variations and ability to adjust his plans as qualities that can make him effective in the shortest format. With India seeking contributions from a top order built around attacking batters, Pujara believes Kishan's responsibility is to maintain the tempo established in the powerplay rather than chase a major score in every innings. The former India batter's assessment offers a different way of looking at the left-hander's performances, placing the team's scoring requirements ahead of personal milestones.

"Coming in at No. 3, Ishan Kishan is giving the Indian team what it needs. I don't think you will see a big score every time because everyone in the top order is an explosive player. Their role is to give the team a good start and maximise the powerplay. So, whenever Ishan Kishan comes out to bat, he has maximised the powerplay, and after that, when required to accelerate, he has chipped in with those quickfire 30s and 40s as well.

"I think that's good enough. Maybe, from the perspective of personal milestones, you would want him to score big runs, but at the moment, he is doing the job the team requires," Pujara told JioStar.

Pujara highlighted Naman Dhir's ability to learn from a difficult passage of play and still execute his plans effectively. Rather than focusing solely on the wickets he takes, Pujara pointed to the thought process behind Dhir's bowling, including his use of line, length and pace to challenge batters.

"Naman has shown that he has great control and the ability to pick up wickets. He is aware of what the batter is doing and how he can get him out. Most of the time, he keeps the ball on the stumps and looks to cramp the batter for room, as he did with Nicholas Pooran in the last game, where he was hit for three sixes. The execution was not ideal on the first two deliveries, but he stuck to his plan, adjusted his line slightly and got the wicket.

"It's great game awareness. And if you look at his pace, it is relatively slow for a spinner in the T20 format, which shows that he is constantly varying his speed, deceiving batters with changes in line and length. He understands his strengths as a bowler," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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