IND vs ZIM: Saba Karim Believes Shubman Gill Can Fill The Role Of Backup Opener For The 2023 World Cup

Former Indian selector Saba Karim believes that stand-in skipper KL Rahul will bat at No.4, with Shubman Gill serving as a backup opener in the run-up to the ICC World Cup 2023.

Gill has been described by Karim as a three-dimensional player who can play in all three formats.

Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill appear to be India’s successful opening combo. Starting with the West Indies tour, Dhawan and Gill’s left-hand, right-hand combo has been successful in almost all of the games they have opened together. Their undefeated 192-run partnership against Zimbabwe in the first ODI in Harare on Thursday was another example.

In the three One-Day Internationals against the West Indies, Gill led the scoring charts with 205 runs, and Dhawan came in second with 168 runs. In the opening round of a three-match series against Zimbabwe on Thursday, August 18, Gill maintained his strong form, assisting India to a 10-wicket victory.

‘Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will serve as front-line openers’: Saba Karim

Gill has been described by Saba Karim as a three-dimensional player who can play in all three formats.

“KL Rahul is currently ranked fourth. Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill were chosen to begin the batting because of this.

“For the 2023 World Cup, India’s selectors and team management are seeking for a backup opener,” Saba Karim told India News.

“The front-line openers will be Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, with Gill serving as a backup opening.

“Playing across three formats effectively is incredibly challenging, but Gill possesses the necessary skills.

“His disposition is favourable. He had to face testing situations where he scored runs.”

Dhawan scored 81 runs off 113 balls, including 9 fours, while Gill scored 82 runs off 72 balls, including 10 fours and 1 six.

Additionally, India’s 10-wicket victory in the ODIs included the second-highest opening stand in ODI history—a 192-run partnership between Dhawan and Gill.

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