'Donon hi ghatiya options' - Fans react as Ricky Ponting backs KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan to be India's wicketkeeping options for World Cup 2023

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has come up with a recent statement on India’s probable squad for the ODI World Cup 2023. He has backed the senior wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul and young lad Ishan Kishan to be the wicketkeeping options for India for the marquee tournament later in the month of October and November in their own backyard.

“I think Ishan Kishan should definitely be there as well to give another left-handed batting option because if you look back to game three, they promoted Axar and Jadeja ahead of Surya because of Ashton Agar and the balls spinning away from the right-handers,” said Ricky Ponting to ICC’s Sanjana Ganesan.

"With Rishabh not being there now, they might think of maybe wanting to play a specialist left-handed batter in the middle order which I think would have to be Ishan Kishan in some role, whether that's at No.4 or No.5,” he added later.

Although a section of Indian cricket fans took it as an opportunity to troll KL Rahul; they took to Twitter to come up with some interesting reactions and responses following Ricky Ponting’s statement on India’s squad for the 13^th edition of the ODI World Cup.

Here’s how fans reacted:

दोनों ही घटिया ऑप्शन्स,
इससे पता चलता है कि हमारे पास टैलेंट की कितनी कमी है।

— himanshu dixit (@dixit_nanu) April 7, 2023

Sanju haina bhai kisiko jaroorat nhi

— Mayank Kushwaha (@mayankushwaha) April 7, 2023

Ofc he is an australian , so he wants us to lose 😹

— N🇺🇾(⭐⭐⭐⭐) (@icrynowww) April 7, 2023

Thats a clever Aussie tactic. He is one person who never wished well for India, so you can imagine what he is doing even now by ignoring Sanju Samson!

— Sumit Agarwal 🇮🇳 (@sumitagarwal_IN) April 7, 2023

Ricky Ponting wants India to lose 2023 world cup that is why he is vocal about retaining KL Rahul ...don't go for his opinions listen to your heart ❤️

— ً (@SarcasticCowboy) April 7, 2023

Advantage Australia

— chase_π (@virat_kolly) April 7, 2023

K S Bharat Better

— Sammed. ಸಮ್ಮೇದ .सम्मेद 🇮🇳 (@SammedHemagiri) April 7, 2023

an Australian is backing - we all know them 😂

— Ritvik (@kohli_fanatic) April 7, 2023

If I was Australian I would've said the same🤣🤣

— Sandeep Mehta 🇮🇳 (@_mesandy_mehtaa) April 7, 2023

Oh my God... first sky and now these two🤯. I understand KL but ishan... really ponting.

— kuldeep singh (@ksnaruka99) April 7, 2023

Australia fir se world cup jitna chahta hai 😂😂😂😂😂

— crazy cricketer (@ChatraRamParma2) April 7, 2023

ishan kishan 😭😭 he can neither play spin nor fast bowling

— 𝔾𝔸𝕌ℝ𝔸𝕍 (@a_gaurav19) April 7, 2023

He must want Australia to win, that’s why

— Micky Kharbanda (@mickykharbanda) April 7, 2023

Hs definitely wants India to lose
Samson and Ruturaj over him anyday

— Arnab Sinha (@ArnabSi81271726) April 7, 2023

Apart from this, Ponting also talked about the batting lineup of Team India and the use of batters in the middle order.

“I think Ishan Kishan should definitely be there as well to give another left-handed batting option because if you look back to game three, they promoted Axar and Jadeja ahead of Surya because of Ashton Agar and the balls spinning away from the right-handers,” said Ponting.

“So I think they'll go into that World Cup with the two keepers in their squad and they'll make the decision on what they need as far as their batting is concerned,” he concluded.