"He plays in a similar way to Virat Kohli" - Andy Flower picks 5 next-generation Indian batters to watch out for
Former Zimbabwe captain and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower has named five young Indian batters capable of taking forward Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's legacy. He picked Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Abhishek Sharma, and Riyan Parag in this regard.
Flower's comments came before India's five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, which began on Saturday, July 6. The hosts surprisingly pipped the world champions by 13 runs in the tournament opener.
The former wicketkeeper-batter spoke a bit about each youngster but reserved a special comparison for the series' stand-in captain Gill, saying that his playing style is similar to Kohli's.
"If I put my IPL coaching hat on, then I'll have to keep a keen watch on the players," Flower told the Times of India. "(Yashasvi) Jaiswal didn't play a single match in the T20 World Cup but he is an incredible option. Shubman Gill, by his standards, had a quiet IPL but he looks a very intelligent player. He plays in a similar way to Virat Kohli.
"I'm looking forward to Abhishek Sharma performing. I really like the look of Dhruv Jurel. Watching him in the Test series against England, he did brilliantly. Riyan Parag has the swagger that you need in international cricket," he added.
Flower was in the dressing room when Kohli put up his best IPL season in a long time in 2024. The ace batter also won the Player of the Match award in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa before announcing his international retirement from the shortest format.
"I hadn't thought about it (Kohli's retirement)," he added. "I was a little surprised. I really enjoyed working with Virat in the IPL last season. I have utmost respect for him, obviously as a player but also the way he supported Faf du Plessis and myself and Mo Bopat, the director of cricket."
"He is a brilliant role model. He is an outstanding professional sportsperson. He looks after himself really well. He is disciplined without being robotic. He laughs and has fun, has a cheeky sense of humor and takes the mickey out of people. He always mixes in with team gatherings and he is very approachable. He has a very good cricket brain and can think out of the box too," Flower continued.
Gill and Abhishek opened the innings for India in the first T20I, with Ruturaj Gaikwad taking Kohli's old position of No. 3. Despite Gill's 31 (29), the highest score in the match, Zimbabwe's magnificent bowling effort saw the visitors finish at 102 in 19.5 overs while chasing 116.
"People move on very quickly" - Andy Flower on Kohli, Rohit Sharma's retirements
Flower further stated that although it seems hard to replace Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma at the moment, India's domestic system has ensured "readymade" options.
"There are readymade replacements for the guys who've retired, even though they are genuinely great cricketers," he said in the same interview. "The strong domestic structure in India means there will always be readymade replacements. It's certainly nothing to be scared of. India will keep producing these greats. There is always someone ready to come in. Whenever some of the great cricketers have retired, you think they won't be and cannot be replaced. But people move on very quickly. All eyes adjust and focus on the next talent that comes along."
The second India-Zimbabwe T20I will be played on Sunday, July 7.