Pujara backs Ishan Kishan’s role at No. 3 amid calls for bigger scores

Cheteshwar Pujara has come out in support of Ishan Kishan, arguing that the wicketkeeper-batter’s value at No. 3 in India’s ongoing T20I series against West Indies should be assessed through his contribution to the team’s innings rather than the size of his personal score.

Pujara, who retired from all forms of cricket on August 24, 2025, shared his views with JioStar ahead of the fourth T20I, scheduled in Hyderabad on October 14, 2026. He pointed out that the structure of India’s top order means large individual totals are not always the right benchmark for success.

“Coming in at No. 3, Ishan Kishan is giving the Indian team what it needs. I don’t think you will see a big score every time because everyone in the top order is an explosive player. Their role is to give the team a good start and maximise the powerplay. So, whenever Ishan Kishan comes out to bat, he has maximised the powerplay, and after that, when required to accelerate, he has chipped in with those quickfire 30s and 40s as well.” Pujara told JioStar.

Why does Pujara believe quickfire 30s and 40s are enough from Ishan Kishan?

Pujara‘s defence of Kishan is rooted in the specific demands placed on a No. 3 batter when every player above and around him in the order is expected to attack from ball one. In that setup, he argues that establishing a strong powerplay platform and providing a burst of acceleration when the innings calls for it is the primary responsibility, not building a large personal total.

The former India Test batter stressed that Kishan has consistently met that standard. Pujara’s position is that evaluating a player in this role purely on whether he reaches a half-century or beyond overlooks what the position actually requires of him in a T20 context.

What has Pujara said about Naman Dhir’s bowling in the series?

Alongside his comments on Kishan, Pujara also drew attention to Naman Dhir‘s development as a bowling option during the T20I series. He highlighted Dhir’s control, variations and capacity to revise his plans mid-spell as attributes that have stood out in the shortest format.

Pujara noted that Dhir had demonstrated the ability to work through difficult passages and still carry out his plans with precision, pointing specifically to how Dhir cramped Nicholas Pooran for room in the previous match. Rather than measuring Dhir’s contribution through wickets alone, Pujara focused on the thinking that underpins his bowling.

“It’s great game awareness. And if you look at his pace, it is relatively slow for a spinner in the T20 format, which shows that he is constantly varying his speed, deceiving batters with changes in line and length. He understands his strengths as a bowler,” Pujara said, assessing Dhir’s approach in the series.