Three players India can try out in future ODIs
At the start of World Cup 2019, India were one of the hot favorites to win it with most of their bases covered. They played dominant cricket through the tournament but lost out to the Kiwis in the semifinal. The top-order fell apart chasing a modest target of 240 as India lost the game by just 18 runs to bow out of the tournament.
With a few senior players struggling, its time for the Indian management to replace or, at least, name some backups for them in the coming ODIs in order to give a launchpad to a newer generation of cricketers that will carry the flag along in the future. Performances for the India A side and in the domestic circuit should be the determining factor in these choices.
India A will play South Africa A in a five-match series in the fifty-over form slated to begin on August 29th. The five-match series will be an ideal platform for many of the youngsters to showcase their skills.
In the recently-concluded ODI series against the West Indies, India completed a comfortable series win winning it 2-0. Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Navdeep Saini proved to be the biggest positives for the Indian team as the young trio performed way better than expected.
Here, let us take a look at the three promising players Team India can try in the coming ODIs who can be future long-term prospects for the Men in Blue.
#1. Shubman Gill
With the likes of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan opening the batting in the 50-over form, a replacement for either of the Indian batsman will be an uphill task for the Indian selectors. Shikhar Dhawan's recent form in the ODI's seems a bit of bother as the Delhi-born batsman is failing to convert the starts into big fifties and hundreds. With him struggling at the top, the opening slot seems quite open, and few young faces might get a go in the coming ODIs.
Shubman Gill is one of that kind batsman who is capable of replacing Dhawan. The right-handed batsman was in sublime form playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League. He looked quite aggressive while opening the innings with Chris Lynn for the Kolkata-based franchise.
The 19-year-old performed well even outside the subcontinent, showing his class in the ICC U-19 World Cup 2018. With a series of performances that helped him win the Man-of-the-Tournament prize in the recently =-concluded India A tour of West Indies, Gill looks in sublime form. Gill's temperament might also be good enough to fetch him a spot in the Indian senior team.
Gill seems to be the perfect replacement and stand-by at the top for the Indian batting order and if given a chance is ready for the international circuit. Gill can also be a floater and well be the answer to India's No.4 spot.
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