"Game ready"- Ishan Kishan posts pictures from final preparations ahead of 1st India vs West Indies ODI

Young Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has posted pictures from his final preparations ahead of the first ODI against West Indies on Sunday.

The 23-year-old, who will be playing only his third ODI, is expected to open the innings alongside skipper Rohit Sharma.

He shared snapshots from a net session and a fielding drill with the following caption:

"Final prep. Game ready"

Apart from Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaikwad were India's first-choice openers for the series. However, they both tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be isolated from the group. Mayank Agarwal was called upon as a replacement. But he, too, is undergoing a three-day isolation and will only be available on the day of the first match.

Kishan was only part of the 19-member squad for the T20I series which will follow the ODIs. He, along with Shahrukh Khan, were added to the ODI squad on Saturday as backup options. At a press conference earlier on Saturday, Rohit explained the same, saying:

“Ishan Kishan is the only option we have and he will open with me. Mayank was added to the squad and he is still in isolation. He came (joined) late and we have some rules in place. If someone is travelling, we have to put them in (mandatory 3-day) quarantine. He has still not finished his quarantine, so Ishan will open the innings."

Ishan Kishan made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in July last year. He started his innings with a six and went on to hit a 42-ball 59, becoming the only cricketer to slam half-centuries on both ODI and T20I debuts. He played the second ODI as well, but could only manage one off four balls.

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Ishan Kishan's record in List A cricket

The left-hander has substantial experience in 50-over domestic matches. He has featured in 79 List A games, scoring 2609 runs at an average of 36.74.

Kishan, who has four centuries and 13 half-centuries to his name, has a best score of 173.