Former India cricketer Saba Karim feels that Shubman Gill is the ideal No.3 for the Indian team in the absence of Virat Kohli for the first T20I between India and Afghanistan. The Men in Blue will lock horns with the Afghans in a three-match T20I series. The first game will be played in Mohali on Thursday, January 11 and Virat Kohli has opted out of the first T20i citing personal reasons.
Shubman Gill has batted at No.3 for India in Tests and ODIs but this will be the first time for him batting at No.3 for India in the shortest format. He was replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal who has started opening the innings for India in Tests whereas he batted at No.3 replacing Cheteshwar Pujara. Now Gill could be getting an opportunity to bat at No.3 in the shortest format.
Saba Karim was asked about Shubman Gill potentially taking Virat Kohli’s No.3 spot during a discussion on Sports 18. He responded, “At No. 3, you have to come to bat in the powerplay at times and sometimes after the powerplay, but your aim, in the end, should be to play big shots and accelerate as soon as you go in. I feel Shubman is capable of batting at No. 3.”
The former India wicketkeeper-batter added, “In today’s era, I feel Rahul Dravid’s thinking will also be to develop young players who are multi-dimensional and multi-faceted and have the flexibility to bat at any number. So I feel Shubman is the ideal candidate to come in at No. 3 although he knows that he will get a limited number of chances.”
Shubman Gill Would Like To Make The Opportunity Count
Saba Karim was quick to note that Shubman Gill hasn’t been in his best of forms across all formats in the last few months. He has urged the young batter to grab the opportunity with both hands and score some runs to secure his place in the team. He was India’s highest run-getter in ODIs during 2023 but since the commencement of the ICC Cricket World Cup 202, he has been suffering from a shortage of runs.
Shubman Gill will be hoping to play some of his best cricket in this series and also in the upcoming IPL 2024 as he wants to secure a place in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. He will be leading the Gujarat Titans this season in the IPL 2024 and it will be his first time leading a team in any format of the game. Shubman Gill was the highest run scorer in the IPL 2023 where he amassed 890 runs in 17 innings at an average of 59.33. He smashed three centuries and four half-centuries in the season.
The 24-year-old batter will be ready for a new challenge in T20Is, a format where he has not tasted much success. He will be hoping to play some encouraging knocks that will enhance his stats in the shortest format for India. Shubman Gill is a generational talent and he is on the road to becoming the future batting maestro of India.
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