India’s veteran wicket-keeper bat Dinesh Karthik reckons Ishan Kishan will get confidence from Afghanistan knock. Kishan was dismissed for a golden duck in the opening clash against Australia however he scored a run-a-ball 47 in the second game against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Wednesday.

Kishan added 156 runs with his skipper Rohit Sharma for the opening alliance while chasing 273 runs. The left-hander has been in decent form in the recent past and had also scored a fighting knock of 82 runs in the group stage match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

With dark clouds hanging over Shubman Gill’s participation, Kishan is expected to get another opportunity against the arch-rivals on Saturday.

Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz, “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,” he added.

On the other hand, Karthik, who is part of the commentary panel for World Cup 2023, added there will be pressure on Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer as both of them were dismissed for ducks against Australia.

“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.”

India will play their next match against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Saturday.