Saba Karim expects Shubman Gill to be India’s reserve opener in 2023 WC

In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill latched on to the opportunity to open the innings for India on their recent tour. Gill, known for his stylish and eye-pleasing shots, scored an unbeaten 82 in Team India’s 10-wicket victory over hosts Zimbabwe in the first ODI yesterday.

Former Indian player Saba Karim believes Gill can fulfill the role of a backup opener, keeping in mind next year’s 50-overs World Cup in India.

“KL Rahul’s place at this time is No.4. This is the reason Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill opened the batting. India’s selectors and team management are looking for a backup opener for the 2023 World Cup,” 

“Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will serve as front-line openers, while Gill can fulfill the role of a backup opener.”- Karim told India News

Gill in 2022

The Under-19 World Cup winner started the year on the right foot, amassing 483 runs for the Gujarat Titans franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He played in the one-off Test against England scoring 17 and 4 runs.

Since then, Gill has been phenomenal in the ODIs, ending up as the highest-run getter versus the West Indies with 205 runs. He narrowly missed his maiden white-ball in the third and final match, which was called off, leaving the youngster stranded on 98*.

Gill has the technique to play all three formats: Karim

The former chief selector maintained that Gill has the technique to play all three formats going forward.

He showed his prowess in Australia during the famous Gabba Test, where he smacked the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.

“It is very difficult to play across three formats with the right technique, but Gill possesses all those elements. His temperament is good. He had to go through tough challenges where he scored runs.

“This is a good phase for Shubman and I think the team management has marked him as a player who can play all three formats, which is a big thing.”