India head coach Rahul Dravid faced flak on social media after Ishan Kishan broke a slew of world records with his sensational 210-run innings off 131 deliveries against Bangladesh in the third ODI on Saturday.
While a section of Team India supporters dubbed him as a “rascal,” others called him “stupid” for not giving Ishan Kishan more opportunities in the national team.
What a knock by @ishankishan51! Its a shame he will be dropped the next game as The Rohit Sharma and The KL Rahul needs to play courtesy The Rahul Dravid!#BANvsIND
— saurabh padalikar (@saurabhmufc) December 10, 2022
What a knock Ishan.Ek jor ka tamacha to Rahul Dravid & Rohit who has been consistently ignoring u & Sanju bcz of their biasedness twds Pant.Big Big Slap. Now I am waiting for Umraan 2 show some pace again.Another slap they deserve. #INDvsBAN #BCCISelectionCommittee #ishankishan
— Sandip (@Solonisko) December 10, 2022
https://twitter.com/kumarnaresh25/status/1601674679608934400
What a phenomenal coach you are not selecting him in #NZ series! Hats off to you. I am telling you one thing very clearly… If you don't have @PrithviShaw @IamSanjuSamson @ishankishan51 #RutrajGaikwad in your world Cup team you are going to regret! #RahulDravid is sleeping!
— Filmmaker MN (@storytellermsn) December 10, 2022
#INDvsBAN #INDvsBangladesh So Y was IshanKishan not taken in ODI-2 ? @BCCI n incompetent #RahulDravid responsible for defeat in ODI-2 ? Y play same team of defeated ODI-1? Do a professional job, 100s of young talent gets withered..bcos of your inaction, at taxpayers..Shame!
— Sukumar (@smiles9q9) December 10, 2022
Rahul Dravid discussing excuses to drop Ishan Kishan with captain pic.twitter.com/5uz1R5nMU2
— Savage (@arcomedys) December 10, 2022
Thank god, Ishan Kishan hit a four on 193. Imagine taking a single and him being 194* with Rahul Dravid in the dressing room! #BANvIND
— Shankar (@shankarstake) December 10, 2022
Rahul Dravid & KL Rahul will be absolutely fuming at this performance. How dare Ishan Kishan defy team plans laid down by both Rahuls' to play at a strike rate of 60#ishankishan
— Western Ghats (@pratapse) December 10, 2022
Rahul Dravid must be thrown into prison for our World Cup defeat, he is responsible for not nurturing players like Ishan Kishan
I still cant get over that loss…bloody rascal— Ritika Arora (@Ritika9189) December 11, 2022
Too much aggressive batting from Ishan Kishan. Rahul Dravid won't tolerate it.
— Ravi Sinha (@_ravitweets) December 10, 2022
Ishan Kishan could only be included in India's playing XI only after regular skipper Rohit Sharma got injured in the previous game, something a section of fans repeatedly pointed out on Twitter.
The main reason behind the discussion on this topic was India's recent lack of intent and approach in limited-overs cricket. India's top-order, especially the three openers, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Shikhar Dhawan in T20Is and ODIs have faced severe flak for their slow batting in the first 10 overs.
Both the team's admirers and former cricketers have criticized their lack of aggressive play because according to them it puts additional pressure on the middle order and urged the BCCI to make wholesome changes in the side.
After Ishan Kishan hit his maiden double hundred at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, many fans claimed that Indian selectors needed to phase out seniors if the Men in Blue wished to win next year's ODI World Cup at home.
Some cricket lovers even claimed that Ishan Kishan's innings exposed the “sad reality of Indian cricket” because if it wasn't for Rohit Sharma's injury, the young left-hand batter wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to play the third ODI against Bangladesh.
Coming back to Ishan Kishan's performance, he became the fourth India batter to score a double hundred in One-Day Internationals. Before him, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, the explosive Virender Sehwag, and current skipper Rohit Sharma have accomplished the milestone.
It was also the quickest double century in the 50-over format as Ishan Kishan reached the milestone in only 126 deliveries, while the former record holder West Indies great Chris Gayle got there in 138 balls against Zimbabwe in 2015.
Known as the “Universe Boss,” Chris Gayle is a southpaw like Ishan Kishan. The other trait that could be found in both Chris Gayle and the India opener is both believe in taking the attack to the opposition.
Talking about other feats that Ishan Kishan accomplished in the match, he went Rohit Sharma's long-standing record to becoming the youngest double-centurion in One-Day Internationals. He made his maiden double hundred at the age of 24 years and 145 days, Rohit Sharma did it when he was 26 years and 186 days old against the mighty Australians in Bengaluru in 2013.
After Bangladesh asked India to bat first, the visitors lost senior batter, Shikhar Dhawan, early in the innings as he walked back to the pavilion for just 3 off 8 balls.
However, Ishan Khan then took center stage as he and former captain Virat Kohli stitched together a blistering 200-plus partnership for the second wicket to put India in command.
Though Virat Kohli eventually got out for 113 off 91 deliveries, his first ODI hundred since August 2019, Ishan Kishan stole the limelight from him due to his blistering double ton.
Ishan Kishan now holds the record for the highest score by a visiting batter in Bangladesh as well. The youngster overtook former Australian cricketer Shane Watson who smashed an unbeaten 185 in the South Asian nation in 2011.
Ishan Kishan also pipped former BCCI president and India captain, Sourav Ganguly, to become the side's top scorer in an away match as an opener. Sourav Ganguly had smacked 183 against Sri Lanka during the 1999 World Cup in England.
Earlier, a video of India head coach Rahul Dravid's wild celebrations following Ishan Kishan's historic double century against Bangladesh in the third ODI instantly went viral on Saturday.
Ishan Kishan, whose sensational 210-run-knock off 131 deliveries included 10 sixes and 24 boundaries in what was a sensational display of power-hitting, got to his record-breaking double ton, ironically, with a single off the bowling of Mustafizur Rahman.
After reaching the feat, the India opener roared before taking his helmet off while he was still completing the single. On the other hand, his partner Virat Kohli was even more excited as he put his hands up in the air and then broke into Bhangra before hugging him as soon as Ishan Kishan completed his maiden double century.
Not to be left behind was the Indian dressing room where head coach Rahul Dravid and stand-in skipper KL Rahul led the celebrations. As Ishan Kishan reached the historic milestone both KL Rahul and Rahul Dravid could be seen erupting in joy.