Former India player Dinesh Karthik believes that getting some runs under the belt was crucial for talented Team India opener Ishan Kishan after he got out for a golden duck in the opening match of the 2023 World Cup against Australia. But he bounced back by performing well against Afghanistan, scoring 47 runs off 47 balls at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday. And, Karthik feels that the knock would be a confidence booster for him as well.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik explained: “Ishan Kishan started tentatively. But when he got going, he played a few lovely shots. He will give the confidence that he looks in good rhythm, which is very, very important. They are going to play Pakistan in a couple of days. In case Shubman Gill is not fit, which is most likely the case, Ishan Kishan will again be opening. So, this game time will give him the confidence to go out there and play freely. When you take time in these kind of games, it is okay. But when you play against Pakistan, you want to start with the right intent, and these kind of games help you do that.”

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However, Team India will take on Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14. While Shubman Gill has reached Ahmedabad, it remains uncertain if he will be available for selection. He was ruled out of India’s first two fixtures due to dengue as well. During the same discussion, Dinesh Karthik also stated that Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer will be under a lot of pressure, considering that their places in the team are not certain as once Shubman Gill is fit, one of Iyer or Kishan would have to sit out as well.

“Both Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer are at a very interesting point right now in this World Cup. Both of their places are not cemented. So they will be under more pressure than the rest of the batting lineup,” he concluded.