'Hope they remain motivated': Kaif passes verdict on star duo's absence from 1st ODI vs SL

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif took to his official Twitter handle on Tuesday and revealed his thoughts on Team India’s decision to bench star batsmen Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav during the 1st ODI against Sri Lanka. While the Men In Blue kicked off the three-match ODI series on Tuesday in Guwahati, Assam, Ishan, and Suryakumar’s exclusion left the Indian cricket community miffed. While fans lashed out at the management for their strategy, several former cricketers also provided their take on the matter.

Meanwhile, Kaif was one of the big cricketing names to pass his verdict on the matter and he hoped that the star duo manages to remain motivated after the snubbing. “Slightly uncomfortable with the prospect of watching an Indian team today without last ODI's double hundred scorers, Ishan Kishan, and last T20's centurion Suryakumar Yadav. Hope they remain motivated,” Kaif said.

Ishan Kishan's heroic double century for India

It is pertinent to mention that Ishan Kishan scored a double-century in his last ODI appearance against Bangladesh in December 2022. The 24-year-old took just 126 balls to notch up his double hundred and scored 210 runs off 131 balls, while taking India’s total to 409/8 in 50 overs. India ended up winning the match by 227 runs after bowling out Bangladesh for 182 runs but lost the series by a margin of 1-2.

Suryakumar Yadav's 3rd T20I century for India

On the other hand, Suryakumar Yadav scored his third T20I century in his last international appearance for India. The 32-year-old remained unbeaten on 112 runs off 51 balls during the 3rd T20I against Sri Lanka last week. He became the second-highest century-getter in the 20-over format with his heroic knock that led India to a 91-run win in the 3rd T20I and also to a 2-1 series win under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy.

"Need to give those guys enough chances"

Coming back to the ODI series opener, captain Rohit Sharma explained why India had to drop Ishan despite his double hundred. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Rohit said, “Gill has got a lot of runs in the last few games, so has Ishan. I am not going to take anything away from him (Ishan). He's been wonderful for us, got a double hundred. And, I know what it takes to get a double hundred, it is a great achievement. But just to be honest and fair to the guys who have done really well before, we need to give those guys enough chances as well before we make that call."