IND vs SL Live: Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Shubman Gill: India Squad SL Series – KL Rahul’s axe from the T20 team for the Sri Lanka series has opened slots for two young players Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill. Both openers will now be eying to cement their places in the three-match T20 series. While Ruturaj has played nine T20Is for India, Shubman Gill is yet to make his debut in T20Is. With KL Rahul no more in the T20 scheme of things. It will be a battle between Gill and Gaikwad to nail one T20 opener slot. Follow IND vs SL Live Updates with InsideSport.IN.
IND vs SL LIVE: Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Shubman Gill, two youngsters fight for opening SPOT in T20s with KL Rahul AXED, Follow LIVE Updates
IND vs SL Live: Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Shubman Gill, young India stars aim to cement place in the T20 side – Outgoing BCCI selectors have given a second chance to Gaikwad and Gill to show their caliber in the T20 side. With Ishan Kishan likely fixed as one opener, Gill and Gaikwad will be fighting for one spot. Both Gill and Gaikwad play a similar type of brand in the T20 format. Both like to get their eyes in before going into attack mode. In 90 T20 matches, the CSK opener has scored 2836 runs at a strike rate of 134.
On the other hand, Gill has amassed 2577 runs from 95 matches at a strike rate of 128.72. Gaikwad is marginally ahead owing to a better strike rate. The Maharashtra opener also had a good Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments topping the run charts for the side. The only thing that could go against Gaikwad is Gill’s terrific start to his ODI career, wherein he has scored 687 runs in just 15 ODIs.
IND vs SL: Why Gill and Gaikwad will fight for one opener slot in the T20 side?
- Rohit Sharma is still in the scheme of things for the T20 World Cup 2024 owing to his huge experience and world-class record.
- Kishan has slightly pipped Gill and Gaikwad in the pecking order owing to his double hundred in ODI against Bangladesh.
- Kishan also offers a left-hand option at the top, so the management might give him longer rope in T20Is.
- With one opener fixed, only one spot is left. The series against Sri Lanka is a make-or-break for Gill and Gaikwad.
- It is highly unlikely both Gill and Gaikwad will open together owing to their lowish strike rate.
IND vs SL LIVE: Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Shubman Gill, two youngsters fight for opening SPOT in T20s with KL Rahul AXED, Follow LIVE Updates
India’s squad for Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar.
