The Indian team lost in the finals of the World Cup last year, and since then there has been speculation over the likely change of opening partner alongside skipper Rohit Sharma before the Champions Trophy.
Shubman Gill, who has been appointed as the vice captain for India in all formats of limited overs cricket, is not in the finest of forms since the World Cup last year. Gill, the 24-year-old Indian batting sensation, made his debut for India in 2019 and since then has scored 2328 runs in the format internationally for India in 47 appearances.
However, in a recent outing against Sri Lanka as well, Gill failed miserably and was one of India’s major concerns as he scored very few runs at an alarmingly low strike rate. Gill was the troublemaker up the order and also restricted Rohit Sharma’s fluent innings with his often halts.
However, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made his debut for India in 2023, has risen to splendid form in the T20I and Test formats. Jaiswal has also been a star for the Rajasthan Royals; however, what Jaiswal brought to the team is his splendid strike rate, with which he raises a storm in whichever format he plays.
Jaiswal has emerged as a full-time player in the shortest format of the game, though he yet awaits an ODI debut. With Gill’s weak patch of form, he is the most likely replacement for the opening spot, as the young man has had a wonderful stint opening alongside skipper Rohit in the other two formats as well.
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Legendary Indian wk-batsman, Dinesh Karthik, has recently been appointed as RCB’s mentor for the upcoming season and will also be the first Indian player to feature in the SA20 league as he has been roped in by the Paarl Royals.
Karthik idealized Shubamn Gill, the constant Indian opener, as the ideal opening choice for India in the Champions Trophy 2025. He said with only 3 games remaining in the ODI format before the Champions Trophy next year, Shubman Gill remains the first-choice opener alongside the skipper, as any other player would not get the time required to fit in the role.
India is yet to announce their decision over the Champions Trophy, which will be played next year from the 19th of February to the 9th of March in Pakistan with probable venues yet awaited from the PCB. With likely chances of team India not traveling to the neighboring country foreseeing the political and diplomatic unrest among the two nations, the ICC might consider rescheduling their matches at venues outside Pakistan.
