In the history of ODI cricket, only one player (Shai Hope) averages more than Shubman Gill while opening. The sample size isn’t that either. Gill’s scored over 2300 runs, which includes big tournaments like the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup. Yet, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar doesn’t want him to be Rohit Sharma‘s opening partner at the ICC Champions Trophy. Instead, he vouches for Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Why Jaiswal needs to play over Gill at ICC Champions Trophy
There is no doubt that the southpaw is extremely talented, but he hasn’t even made his ODI debut yet. Meanwhile, Gill happens to be a better opener than the Indian captain, Rohit Sharma himself. So why does Sunil Gavaskar want Jaiswal to play over Gill in the India cricket team’s starting XI at the Champions Trophy? Well, because Jaiswal is left-handed.
“For me, Yashasvi Jaiswal, because he brings that left-handedness. One of the biggest plusses or minuses, depending on which way you look at it, is the fact that there will be white balls,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports.
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The former opener further explained how it could affect a bowler’s rhythm, line, and length. He added that having another southpaw in the XI will also help and then suggested the name of Rishabh Pant, who has played 2 ODIs since 2023.
“So what is a great delivery for a right-hander becomes a wide down the leg side for a left-hander, which means an extra run and an extra ball. So that left and right-hand combination, even in the middle, with Rishabh Pant around, all these things will make a big difference,” Gavaskar added.
Shubman Gill vs Yashasvi Jaiswal: ODI & List A stats comparison
| Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill (ODI) | 47 | 2328 | 58.20 | 101.74 | 13 | 6 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal (List A) | 32 | 1511 | 53.96 | 86.19 | 7 | 5 |
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