Sanjay Manjrekar Ignores Shubman Gill As He Picks Openers For SA T20Is

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the team management will continue with the opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the upcoming T20I series. Manjrekar suggested that India might consider placing Shubman Gill at No. 3 in the lineup.

India are scheduled to play a three-match T20I series against South Africa, starting on December 10. Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been designated as the specialist openers in the squad, while Ishan Kishan provides an additional option.

How Do I Fit In Ishan Kishan? – Sanjay Manjrekar

While discussing India’s potential batting lineup on the Star Sports show ‘Game Plan,’ Manjrekar expressed a dilemma in fitting Ishan Kishan into the top seven. He proposed Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4, followed by Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Shreyas Iyer.

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“Will India think of disturbing this opening combination of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal? However, Shubman Gill has that track record. My compromise would be Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad to continue and Shubman Gill at No. 3,” Manjrekar told Star Sports.

“I will bat at Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4. Then you have got Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Shreyas Iyer – that’s your batting order. There is tremendous depth. How do I fit in Ishan Kishan? I am struggling,” he added.

Tilak Varma Will Have To Miss Out – Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan agreed with Sanjay Manjrekar’s suggestion that Shubman Gill could be positioned at No. 3 in the batting order in South Africa. Pathan emphasized the importance of having experienced players against the new ball, especially in case of early wickets.

“If you have three options as youngsters who can open the innings, that will be fantastic going forward, especially in South Africa. If you lose an early wicket, you need to make sure that the guy coming in has good experience of playing against the new ball. So you can have Shubman Gill at No. 3,” Pathan said.

“At No. 4, I will have Shreyas Iyer. Then obviously Suryakumar Yadav will come at No. 5 and then Rinku Singh. Unfortunately, Tilak Varma will have to miss out. Ishan Kishan also misses out because if he is batting down the order, I will have Jitesh Sharma as the wicketkeeper,” he added.

Also read: Trust Other Players The Way You Do With Riyan Parag – Sanjay Manjrekar’s Blunt Message For RR