The competition for the opening positions has heightened following India’s T20I series victory in Zimbabwe, and for Shubman Gill, this is undoubtedly a positive development.
Gill, projected to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in the upcoming three T20Is in Sri Lanka later this month, emerged as the top scorer in the five-match series in Harare. He was not included in the T20 World Cup squad for the USA and Caribbean.
Throughout the series, India utilized four openers in their playing eleven, all of whom performed admirably, including Gill, Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Gill led India’s second-string team and opened in all five matches, with Jaiswal joining him from the third game onward. In the first two matches, he partnered with Punjab teammate Abhishek Sharma, who made a notable debut with a hundred and a fifty. Among the four openers, Gill recorded the lowest strike rate at 125.92, while Jaiswal achieved 165.88, Gaikwad 158.33, and Abhishek 174.64. “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,” Gill remarked on Sunday regarding the openers.
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirement from T20Is, selectors now face an abundance of options for the Sri Lanka series.
“Anyone who got the opportunity grabbed it with both hands. The openers to bowlers to all-rounders 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 stated after India’s 4-1 series triumph over Zimbabwe.
“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.” India came back to secure the series 4-1 after that initial loss.
“Seeing everyone hungry and so quickly adapting to the situation and assessing the conditions was truly spectacular to watch,” said Gill.
Considering the ball's movement during the powerplay, the opener emphasized the need for caution at the start of the innings. “I think, as per the conditions of the wicket, there were some challenging conditions, especially in the powerplay, the ball was always doing something or the other. As an opening batter, my focus was to see out 4-5 overs and not concede any wicket,” he added.
Read also | Sachin Tendulkar Honors James Anderson with Heartfelt Farewell Message
