Former Indian cricket player Saba Karim has suggested that the team should start their innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill during the upcoming visit to Sri Lanka. India is planning to play a series of three T20 matches and three one-day games starting on July 27.
Before the trip, Saba Karim believes the key spots in the T20 series are the first batting positions, where there are several players competing for a place. The ex-cricket player, who was also a wicketkeeper, wants Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal to keep opening, but also thinks Abhishek Sharma should stay on the team.
“The key roles will be at the beginning of the batting lineup. I think the decision-makers should choose these two players (Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill). I also believe Abhishek Sharma should be included in the team of 15, especially since Rishabh Pant is at number 3 and Suryakumar Yadav is at number 4,” Karim said on Sony Sports.
“It also matters who is leading the team in T20 matches. Gautam Gambhir is the main coach, so we need to consider what the captain and the coach think, and how they plan to move the team forward. They’ll need to pick players based on this. Ruturaj Gaikwad is another option. There are many players who want to be in the starting lineup,” he continued.
After a successful season in the IPL, Abhishek received his first invitation to play for India on the Zimbabwe tour. Unfortunately, he didn’t start well, getting out without scoring in his first match. But he quickly recovered, hitting a fantastic 100 from just 46 balls in his next game. He hit seven boundaries and eight sixes during his innings.
After his hundred, Abhishek was moved from the opening position to number three, with Yashasvi Jaiswal returning to the team. This change didn’t help Abhishek much, as he only scored 10 and 14 in the following two matches. Meanwhile, Jaiswal performed better, scoring 36 (from 27 balls) and an unbeaten 93 (from 53 balls) in his two games upon his return.
In addition to his impressive batting, Abhishek also bowled in the series, taking two wickets in five matches. It will be intriguing to see if this young player keeps his role as a batter and bowler under the guidance of Gautam Gambhir and India’s new captain for T20 matches.
