"2 slots are vacant in front of you" - Saba Karim on Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as potential replacements for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Saba Karim reckons Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's ideal replacements as openers in India's T20I side. Rohit and Kohli bid adieu to the shortest format at the international level after the Men in Blue's title-winning run in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
India restricted Zimbabwe to 152/7 in the fourth T20I in Harare on Saturday, July 13. Jaiswal (93* off 53) and Gill (58* off 39) then stitched together an unbroken 156-run opening-wicket partnership to help the visitors register a resounding 10-wicket win and take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Reviewing the game on Sony Sports, Saba Karim praised the young Indian team for living up to expectations and opined that Jaiswal and Gill are ready to take Rohit and Kohli's spots at the top of the order.
"This young team carried forward the brand of cricket India are playing in T20Is these days and that is why this is great news for the Indian team and the selectors. The performance has been as per the thinking this young team was sent to Zimbabwe. Although India lost the first match, they have staged a comeback after that," he said.
"Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill's unbroken match-winning partnership, right and left-handed combination, which we have been repeatedly talking about. Two slots are vacant in front of you. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli won't be seen in T20Is now. For that, I feel these two players are ready," the former India wicketkeeper-batter added.
While acknowledging that there are other contenders, Saba Karim noted that Jaiswal and Gill have done what they could.
"There are many other contenders as well. The selectors have to do that job but these players have done what was in their control. They had to win the match and the series and dominate like this in batting, which the Indian team did," he observed.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who played the aggressor's role, smashed 13 fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 93. Shubman Gill, who played second fiddle to his opening partner for the majority of the innings, struck six fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 58-run knock.
"I feel the selectors should go with these two only" - Saba Karim on Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as India's openers for T20Is vs Sri Lanka
![Yashasvi Jaiswal was part of India's 2024 T20 World Cup squad. [P/C: BCCI/X]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/07/fc682-17209304248439-1920.jpg?w=500)
Reflecting on the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, Saba Karim opined that India should stick with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as their openers but should also include Abhishek Sharma in the squad.
"The most important positions will be in the top order only. I feel the selectors should go with these two (Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill) only. I feel Abhishek Sharma should get a place at least in the 15 because you have Rishabh Pant at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4," he elaborated on the same network.
While observing that Ruturaj Gaikwad is another contender for the opener's position, the cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that the selection would depend on the template Gautam Gambhir and India's new T20I captain will want to follow.
"It also depends on who is the captain in T20Is. Gautam Gambhir is the head coach, so what is the thinking of the captain and head coach, and how they want to take the team forward. They will have to select players accordingly. Ruturaj Gaikwad is also there. So many players are staking a claim in the top order," Saba Karim stated.
Abhishek slammed a swashbuckling century as an opener in the second T20I against Zimbabwe but had to move to No. 3 once Jaiswal joined the team for the third T20I. Gaikwad, who didn't get to bat at the top of the order in the first four T20Is, scored an unbeaten 77 and played a 49-run knock in the second and third games respectively.