(AP Photo)
Ajit Agarkar’s selection committee faces a pleasant dilemma as they prepare to announce India’s squads for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour, especially with several players vying for the opener’s position in T20Is. Led by newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, India is set to play three T20Is and three ODIs against Sri Lanka, following a successful tour of Zimbabwe where a young squad secured a 4-1 T20I series win, featuring four debutants.
Shubman Gill, alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Abhishek Sharma, is among the contenders for the opener’s role. Gill welcomes the healthy competition within the team and trusts the selectors to decide based on recent performances.
Gill led the batting charts during the Zimbabwe tour, partnering with Abhishek at the top of the order in the first three matches. Abhishek’s international debut began with a duck but quickly turned into a century.
Jaiswal joined the team later in the tour and made impactful contributions, notably an unbeaten 93 in the fourth T20I.
Gaikwad, although not opening, showcased his batting prowess in the middle order with a strike-rate of 158.33, ensuring the selectors took notice of his performance.
“It’s a good thing that everyone’s performing. It shows that everyone is hungry and nobody is ready to take it easy. For any country or board, that’s always a good thing,” said Gill after the fifth T20I.
“Anyone who got the opportunity grabbed it with both hands. The openers to bowlers to allrounders to spinners, everyone made a mark and I think the selectors have now seen everything and it’s up to them to name the squad for the next series,” he added.
Gill relished his debut as the team’s leader, marking a memorable milestone in his international career.
“One thing about captaincy I feel is how much confidence you can show in your players. I try to do that and make them believe that if you try and execute the plans, the results will always follow,” Gill said.
“After losing the first match, we were under a bit of pressure. It’s not easy to play back to back games and the series was planned in a way that there were two back-to-back games, a couple of days rest and then again back-to-back games. It’s never easy playing a series like that but I think the way we came back after losing the first T20I was really remarkable,” he added.
