Prithvi Shaw to be India's reserve opener in BGT 2024-25? Ex-India selector makes bold claim

Former India selector Jatin Paranjape has picked a surprise name for the opening position in India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Paranjape picked the discarded India player Prithvi Shaw as one name who can earn a recall for the Test series in Australia.

Along with Shaw, Paranjape also named Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Abhimanyu Easwaran who can fill the opening spot if needed. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are India's first-choice openers in Test cricket.

But the team will need some reserve openers since the series is too long which increases the chances of players getting injured. Moreover, Rohit Sharma could miss the first Test due to a personal issue which will prompt the management to look at other options for opening.

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Jatin Paranjape names Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Abhimanyu Easwaran for opening role

During an interview with TOI, Jatin paranjape named Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Abhimanyu Easwaran as the reserve openers. The former India cricketer feels that Gill is a No. 3 player and faces the new ball regularly.

"Shubman Gill is probably a good choice for the third opener because he can bat at number three and also open the innings. However, I’d also consider KL Rahul for the third opener role, depending on the situation. Everyone is scoring runs. (Abhimanyu) Easwaran is doing well too," Paranjape said.

Shubman Gill seems to have settled down in his position at No. 3 after good performances recently. KL Rahul started his professional career as an opener and has opened the batting for quite some time, both for his state and his country, which makes him an obvious choice for the role.

Meanwhile, Abhimanyu Easwaran has been in scintillating form recently in domestic cricket. The right-hander scored 309 runs in 3 Tests at an average of 77.25 with 2 hundreds in Duleep Trophy. He also scored a magnificent 191 in the first innings of Irani Cup against Mumbai.

Jatin Paranjape picks Prithvi Shaw for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

In a huge surprise, the former India selector also chose Prithvi Shaw for the Test series in Australia. Paranjape feels that Prithvi Shaw is a dark horse in this race. However, he admitted that the upcoming domestic season will be vital for his future.

"There’s also a dark horse that nobody is talking about: Prithvi Shaw. This domestic season will be crucial for Shaw," Paranjape claimed.

"If Prithvi Shaw has a strong season, he’ll be in the race. I think he is the most talented player in the country, but there’s tough competition, and whoever is in the best form at the time will get picked," he added.

Prithvi Shaw's Test Career

Prithvi Shaw made a fantastic start to his Test career by scoring a magnificent hundred in his first Test at Rajkot against West Indies. However, his career has been hampered by setbacks such as injuries and various off-field issues.

Shaw's last Test match was way back in 2020 against Australia in Adelaide during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. The 24-year-old has played five Tests so far and scored 339 runs at an average of 42.37 with 1 century and 2 half-centuries.