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Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been impressive for the Indian cricket team as they comprehensively defeated Zimbabwe in the recently concluded T20I series. Both batters looked in tremendous form and with India facing Sri Lanka next in 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs, former chief selector Saba Karim urged the team management to pick both of them as opening options. Karim also asked team management led by new head coach Gautam Gambhir to also give a chance to Abhishek Sharma considering the fact that Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav are expected to bat No. 3 and No. 4.
“The most important positions will be in the top order only. I feel the selectors should go with these two (Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill) only. I feel Abhishek Sharma should get a place at least in the 15 because you have Rishabh Pant at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4,” Karim told Sony Sports.
This will be the first assignment for head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team is also expected to have a new captain with Hardik Pandya not in the fray in the aftermath of the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
“It also depends on who is the captain in T20Is. Gautam Gambhir is the head coach, so what is the thinking of the captain and head coach, and how they want to take the team forward. They will have to select players accordingly. Ruturaj Gaikwad is also there. So many players are staking a claim in the top order,” he added.
India’s second-string touring team beat Zimbabwe by 42 runs in the fifth Twenty 20 international at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday to complete a 4-1 series win.
India captain Shubman Gill said his team, which included only three of the squad that won the T20 World Cup last month, had adapted well to conditions after losing the opening match.
“It was an excellent series,” said Gill. “The hunger that we showed after the first loss was phenomenal. A lot of the players had long flights and they weren’t used to conditions. The way they adapted was remarkable.”
(With AFP inputs)
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