It seems as if the World Cup will kick off without India’s top opener, as Shubman Gill did not travel with the Indian squad ahead of their World Cup opener against Australia in Chennai today.
#INDvsAUS #CWC23 #ODIWorldCupLIVE | India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Sirajhttps://t.co/hzd7fZXkWn
— News18 CricketNext (@cricketnext) October 8, 2023
During the toss where Australia’s Pat Cummins won and elected to bat first, India’s skipper Rohit Sharma shared an update regarding the young swashbuckling opener and whether he will be included in the starting eleven for India.
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“No, not really. Unfortunately, he did not recover in time. We waited till the morning to see if he could, but he did not recover yet,” said Sharma.
Gill has been a top performer for India, amassing an impressive 1,230 runs from 20 matches at an average of 72.35 and is slowly closing in on the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings for batters. He was also the highest run-getter in India’s successful Asia Cup campaign.
So, losing Gill is a hefty price to pay, and it will require quite a bit to fill the boots of the youngster.
As an answer to the same, Sharma also mentioned that wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan will take the place of the unwell Shubman Gill for the fixture.
“Kishan will take his place. So, he will open the innings with me today”.
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The news of Gill’s absence and Kishan’s inclusion had social media buzzing with varied opinions all over.
Feeling like another 400+ target loadingNo #ShubmanGill for today’s match but still in my view India has strong batting lineupWishing both teams best Of luck #WorldCup2023 #INDvsAUSLive #CricketNews #LatestNews #Chennai— It’s….. Khan ️(PTI) (@farwa_basharat) October 8, 2023
-Shubman Gill is in good form, I feel along with the likes of Rohit and Kohli he is also gonna shine in this world cup. He has an important role to play along with Rohit in the opening partnership and he has to play long innings. Get well soon Gill India needs you.#gill #CWC23 https://t.co/r4rxIWtdDH— Saurabh_kalyan@07 (@SaurabhKalyan) October 8, 2023
Irrespective of the result, this is India’s best possible playing XI in the absence of Shubman Gill. #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/4NwpHb81TT— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) October 8, 2023
It’s Ishan Kishan’s time to shine!Many talented players are knocking on the doors of the Indian team, waiting in line! This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Ishan Kishan! #INDvsAUS
— Manthan (@manthanojha_) October 8, 2023
Shubman Gill’s outstanding form against spin would have been a valuable asset for India today against Zampa. He’s struggled against LHBs slightly so Ishan Kishan’s ability to navigate the PP will be crucial for India.— Stephen N (@albatrosscric) October 8, 2023
Kishan has been a fiery batsman who plays with a certain aggression that could be of great use for India when opening an innings. What he brings to the table is the will to go out and slash boundaries out of the gate, as proven by his spectacular record as an opener for India.
Out of the 25 innings Kishan has played for India, he has opened the batting on seven innings and has scored 448 runs on a blistering average of 74.66. So, this is yet another opportunity for Kishan to stake his claim and prove his mettle for the world to witness.
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