While Ishan Kishan came out to bat when India's top order had faltered miserably against the fear-instilling Pakistan pace, not many were expecting that he would sail India's ship through the troubled waters successfully.
Scoring a courageous knock of 82 in the 138-run stand with Hardik Pandya, at No. 5 and helping India post a respectable 266, Kishan turned out to be the silver lining.
Kishan, who essentially got the chance due to KL Rahul's absence has just made it a little difficult for the selection committee to ignore him with his ability to produce consistent results.
In Kishan, Rohit Sharma gets a wicket-keeper batter, opener, middle-over hitter and the bankable left-handed option in the top 6. Though KL Rahul owns the no. 5 position with an average of 53 and a strike rate of almost 100, Ishan Kishan offers Rohit Sharma the flexibility he dreams of in a team.
In ODIs, the 25-year-old has so far amassed 776 runs in 18 matches which includes the fastest double hundred he scored against Bangladesh last year.
Why he is the answer to Rohit Sharma's flexibility conundrum? ...because the Jharkhand-based cricketer has performed at almost every spot he has played.
At no. 1, Kishan has 187 runs (4 games), no. 2 238(2 games), playing at no. 3 he has so far amassed 163 (4 games), at no. 4 106 (6 matches) and in his first outing as a no. 5 he got 82 (1 match).
Kishan is the solution to a lot of problems of Team India. With his string of performances he might have fixed his place in the squad but where will the team management play him in the XI would be a big question.