IND Vs PAK: Shubman Gill To Play In Ahmedabad Vs Pakistan, Ex-India Chief Selector Puts An End To All Doubts

Shubman Gill’s swift recuperation has drastically increased the likelihood of his return to the Indian playing XI for the highly-anticipated ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 encounter against Pakistan in Ahmedabad. Just a night before Tuesday, prospects of Gill participating in the Pakistan match were bleak as he had recently been discharged from the hospital.

However, a positive turn of events on Wednesday led to Gill’s immediate journey to Ahmedabad from Chennai, where he engaged in a practice session on Thursday morning – his first in over a week.

In footage broadcast by Star Sports, Shubman Gill appeared in high spirits before heading to the nets at approximately 11:30 AM on Thursday. Accompanied by Team India physio Kamlesh and throwdown specialist Nuwan Seneviratne, Shubman Gill spent nearly an hour batting in the nets.

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He faced throwdowns and net bowlers without displaying any signs of physical discomfort. Towards the conclusion of the session, the 24-year-old even participated in fielding drills, enhancing his skills.

With over 24 hours remaining until the Pakistan match, Shubman Gill is set to partake in another full-fledged practice session with the Indian squad on Friday evening. If his performance meets expectations, there is no reason to doubt his inclusion in the lineup for his World Cup debut on Saturday.

Additionally, Gill’s swift recovery signals that the Indian team management has ruled out any considerations of including Ruturaj Gaikwad or Yashasvi Jaiswal as backup players. MSK Prasad, former India chairman of selectors, affirmed, “I think we can put an end to all kinds of speculations. Shubman Gill will definitely play this game (vs Pakistan). He’s too good a player to miss out. He had just a fever. He has recovered. It was not threatening at all that we would even think about replacements. It’s all rumours that are coming out (about the seriousness of the illness) in whatever form that you are hearing,”

Prasad also clarified that Gill did not travel to Delhi for India’s match against Afghanistan as a precaution. “What we heard was that as a matter of precaution, he couldn’t play the second game otherwise he was fine. He stayed back for one more day in Chennai as a precaution. He recovered well and was discharged. See if someone is playing for 1 bour that means he has recovered. This is an all-important game against Pakistan. If he is fit, which I’m sure he is, then he should be in India’s playing XI,”

Shubman Gill’s Participation Will Be A Huge Boost For India

If Shubman Gill participates against Pakistan, it will be a significant boost for India. While Ishan Kishan can open the innings competently, Gill’s presence offers stability and experience. Gill has an outstanding record at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where he has not played an ODI but averages 93 with two centuries in four matches, including three Tests and a T20I.

“This is the ground where he has played his franchise cricket. He understands every blade of grass about this ground. He knows how to get runs here. With the kind of record he has at this ground and the kind of record he had in the last 1 year, he should definitely play. We didn’t require him in the first couple of games, especially against Afghanistan. The others did the job but now if we look at Pakistan, they are also coming on the back of two wins.

It would be very good if we go in with the best possible XI. Ishan of course has done reasonably well in the second game but when a person like Shubman Gill is there, you have one more match-winner to the XI. This is not a T20 game where he needs to go slam-bang. He can take his time, get set, occupy the crease and then see how it goes. Ideally, I would want him in the XI,” the former India keeper-batter said.