Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ruturaj Gaikwad could join India's 2023 World Cup squad as cover for Shubman Gill: Reports
Star Indian opener Shubman Gill is yet to recover fully after reportedly being diagnosed with dengue ahead of the 2023 World Cup. According to reports from The Indian Express, Gill is likely to miss the encounter against Pakistan as well to be played in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14.
The BCCI had already reported that Gill won't be traveling with the squad to Delhi as he is yet to recover from his fever. He was hospitalized in Chennai after reportedly complaining about fatigue and has been advised 48 hours of rest before further assessment to be made on Thursday.
If the team management asks for a cover for Shubman Gill, the selection committee is likely to make the options of Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ruturaj Gaikwad available to travel with the squad. The report suggests that Gill could take more than a week to recover.
If Shubman Gill misses Pakistan game, it could be a massive blow for India
The kind of form that Shuman Gill has been in the year 2023, especially in ODIs, makes his absence a big blow for the Men in Blue. His replacement in the XI, Ishan Kishan was dismissed for a golden duck against Australia in the first game and the hosts almost paid a huge price for Gill's absence.
While the idea could be to get Gill fit by the fourth game, which will be against Bangladesh in Pune on October 19, the young opener will be under observation. This is because even if the fever goes away during dengue, the weakness can stay and further delay a comeback.
India's 2023 World Cup Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami.