‘There is a reason we have underperformed in limited overs cricket….mediocrity retained’: Venkatesh Prasad lambasts India think tank for dropping Kishan and Pant

“It is unfortunate that we won’t be able to play Ishan, but it is fair to give Gill that run looking at how things have panned out in the last 8-9 months,” said India captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the three-match series vs Sri Lanka, suggesting why Shubman Gill was being added to the squad and not Ishan Kishan.
Former India bowler and coach Venkatesh Prasad however, couldn’t fathom why the aforementioned was the case and termed the move as one of the reasons as to why India haven’t done well in white ball cricket over recent times.
“Think fair would have been to give chance to a man who scored a double hundred in India’s last ODI, and in a series where India lost two games and the series,” Prasad wrote in his Twitter thread. “Have all the time in the world for Gill, but no way you drop a player for scoring a double ton.”

Think fair would have been to give chance to a man who scored a double hundred in India’s last ODI, and in a series where India lost two games and the series.Have all the time in the world for Gill, but no way you drop a player for scoring a double ton. https://t.co/LbzKKH8ynw
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) January 9, 2023
Kishan had blasted 147-ball-215 against Bangladesh in the last ODI India played back in December but was ruled out the Indian skipper as a starter for the first ODI vs Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday.
He further added, “And if one is convinced to play Gill , then can have him bat at 3 and let Ishan keep wickets instead of KL Rahul. There is a reason we have underperformed in Limited overs cricket. Constant chopping changing and a guy who does brilliantly and is an X factor is dropped and mediocrity retained.”
The 53-year-old then criticised Rishabh Pant being dropped from the ODI squad and KL Rahul retaining his place despite having ‘failed consently’ as part of the aforementioned trend.
“In Eng, Pant scored a hundred in the final ODI and helped India win the series. However based on T20 form was dropped from ODI team. KL Rahul on the other hand barring a couple of innings has failed consently but retains his place. Performance is not the foremost parameter. Sad,” he wrote.
KL Rahul is part of the 16-member squad for India in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.