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Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has selected Shubman Gill as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner for Team India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Karthik believes Gill is a strong fit for the role, complementing Sharma effectively at the top of the order.
Gill, who last represented India during the recent white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, accumulated 73 runs in two T20I matches with an average of 36.50 and a strike rate of 137.74. However, he only managed 57 runs in three ODI matches, averaging 19.00 with a strike rate of 61.29.
Gill is set to captain Team A in the Duleep Trophy 2024, starting September 5. His team includes Mayank Agarwal, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, KL Rahul, and Kuldeep Yadav. Gill will be aiming to score runs and build confidence ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh.
In a discussion on Cricbuzz’s “Hey CB with DK,” Dinesh Karthik was asked about the possibility of Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal opening for India. Karthik noted that Jaiswal could be considered if Shubman Gill does not perform as expected. However, he expressed his confidence that Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will be the opening pair for the Champions Trophy.
“Why? Rohit and Shubman are a very good combination. Yes, Jaiswal has a great opportunity to be the backup opener and get his opportunity soon if Shubman doesn’t go as well as expected. And India has a very solid middle order as well,” Karthik said.
“In the lead-up to the Champions Trophy, they are just going to be playing three more games. And I am pretty confident it’s going to be Rohit and Shubman opening for the Champions Trophy,” he added
Yashasvi Jaiswal, in his brief career, has appeared in nine Test matches and 23 T20Is. The left-handed batter has amassed 1,028 runs in Tests and 723 runs in T20Is. However, he has yet to make his debut in the 50-over format for India and is unlikely to receive an ODI call-up before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
A fan drew a comparison between Indian cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and legendary figures Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Don Bradman, then inquired about India’s counterparts to Curtly Ambrose and Brett Lee. In response, Dinesh Karthik named Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Zaheer Khan as the Indian bowlers who could be considered equivalent.
“I would say Bumrah, Shammi, Zaheer Khan. Between these three, these have been three of the best bowlers that India has produced in terms of fast bowlers. Yes, there have been plenty we can talk about. Kapil Dev, we can talk about.
Ishaan Sharma who has done 100 best as a fast bowler. There have been plenty. But these three probably are right up there with some of the best fast bowlers India has produced.”
