Team India has started their World Cup campaign on a high, winning 2 out of their 2 games. However, the side is still missing their star opener Shubman Gill who has been out after being diagnosed with dengue. Ishan Kishan, who replaced Gill on top, has scored 47 in two matches and struggled against pace. However, the Men in Blue received a huge boost ahead of IND vs PAK on Saturday (October 14).
Gill, who landed in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning, hit the nets for the first time in more than a week. Gill practised for an hour in the nets before heading back to hotel. This gives Team India and fans a glimer of hope that the Indian opener might be fit enough for the IND vs PAK. But will the management be willing to take a risk, considering India will have 6 more league games to play?
Also Read: Shubman Gill hit nets ahead of IND vs PAK World Cup clash in Ahmedabad
Why playing Shubman Gill in IND vs PAK is a BIG NO?
While Gill’s inclusion in Playing XI for IND vs PAK will give Team India a big boost, it would too soon to get the 24-year-old back on the field. He was discharged from a hospital in Chennai only on Monday night and a person generally takes at least 10-12 days to recover and be ready for physical activities.
The Men in Blue are in form and performed brilliantly with the bat in the last game against Afghanistan. With big matches ahead, it would be wise to give Gill more rest and get him fully fit for the IND vs BAN match, set to be played on October 19.
Although Ishan Kishan looked uncomfortable against pacers in the first two games, Team India will have the advantage of left and right combination at the top with youngster’s inclusion.
India Squad for Cricket World Cup 2023
Batters: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav
WKs: Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul (VC)
Seam all-rounders: Shardul Thakur
Spin all-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin
Seamers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Spinner: Kuldeep Yadav