Star opener Shubman Gill will remain on the sidelines during India's upcoming World Cup fixture against Afghanistan to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, October 11. Gill is recovering from dengue and needs more time to recover and regain full fitness.
Gill was not fully fit to be available for selection ahead of India's World Cup campaign opener against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and the hosts had to bring Ishan Kishan into the playing XI and asked him to open the innings.
As per a BCCI press release, Gill will "stay back in Chennai and will be under the supervision of the medical team." Gill's absence is a major setback for the Indian team as the Fazilk-born has been in red-hot form in the ongoing calendar year. The right-handed batter has racked up 1230 runs at an astounding average of 72.35 in ODIs in 2023.
Ishan who replaced him in the playing XI for the clash against Australia in Chepauk couldn't trouble the scorers at all. He got out for a golden duck as Mitchell Starc got rid of him with a delivery that swung away from him and the southpaw threw the kitchen sink at it only to edge it to a circumspect Cameron Green waiting at first slip. The Men in Blue are likely to stick to Ishan for the game against the Hasmatullah Shahidi-led side as the Bihar-born has aggregated 448 runs while opening the innings.
Ishan also wields a terrific average of 64 opening the innings in eight matches for the Indian team. He has already notched up three fifty-plus scores and a double hundred at the top and would like to put the dismissal against the Aussies in Chennai behind himself leading into the game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
