Shubman Gill will most likely miss India’s opening World Cup encounter against Australia on Sunday (October 8). The young Indian hitter has allegedly tested positive for dengue illness, making his participation in the game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium improbable.
If Shubman Gill is unable to play, India’s prospects will suffer greatly because he has been a constant player for the squad this year. Gill also performed well in the just-finished ODI series against Australia; therefore, his loss will be felt by the squad.
However, the captain, Rohit Sharma, head coach, Rahul Dravid, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have made efforts to ensure that the team has adequate backup options for every position. In this article, we will explore three potential players who can fill Shubman Gill’s opening spot in case he is unavailable for India’s 2023 World Cup opener.
1 Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan has been nurtured as India’s backup opener ahead of the 2023 World Cup. Over the last year, the left-handed hitter has had several chances to start the batting for the Men in Blue in ODIs. He made the most of his opportunities by adding appropriately to the team’s total.
Kishan got a double century in an ODI against Bangladesh last year while starting the batting. Kishan also started with Shubman Gill in the Asia Cup 2023 final, and prior to it, he hammered three half-centuries in a row as an opener in the away series against West Indies.
Given how the team employed Ishan Kishan as a backup opener on the way to the 2023 World Cup, he is the frontrunner to replace Shubman Gill on Sunday.
2 KL Rahul
In the past, KL Rahul has played as an opening batter for India in ODI cricket alongside Rohit Sharma. This occurred during the later stages of the 2019 World Cup after Shikhar Dhawan suffered an injury.
The duo of Rahul and Rohit has had significant success as a pair. If the team management wishes to replicate the set-up from the 2019 World Cup and maintain three right-handed batters in the top 3, they could consider promoting KL Rahul to the opening slot and utilizing players like Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, and Suryakumar Yadav in the middle-order.
3 Suryakumar Yadav
Although Suryakumar Yadav has mostly batted in the middle order for India, the Men in Blue may consider using Mr. 360 in the powerplay overs against Australia. Teams such as England and New Zealand have demonstrated that early powerplay runs may put the opposing team under a lot of strain.
Yadav has never started the batting in ODIs, but he has done so in T20Is, scoring 135 runs in four innings as an opener. His average is 33.75, and his strike rate is 168.75 percent. If Yadav can hit a fast 20-ball 35 or a 30-ball 50 at the top of the order, India would have a leg up on Australia.