Shubman Gill's Return To T20Is On The Cards? Ex-India Star Makes Explosive Prediction After Ireland Series Loss
Former Indian cricket team batter Sanjay Manjrekar made an explosive prediction that Shubman Gill will slowly return to the T20I setup.
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson failed to impress as India suffered a shock T20I series loss against Ireland. They were beaten in both T20I encounters with both openers getting dismissed for golden ducks on Sunday. The back-to-back losses led to massive criticism for the batters and the decision to hand Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his senior debut also did not go down well with several fans as well as experts. Former Indian cricket team batter Sanjay Manjrekar made an explosive prediction that Shubman Gill will slowly return to the T20I setup. Following India's loss in the second T20I encounter, Manjrekar referred to Gill's performances in IPL and his record in England to point out that he still has an important part to play in T20Is.
"Shubman Gill... just for people to understand, this is a guy who is a T20 batter now and had a tremendous IPL as well. I'm not talking about captaincy, but these are the players you slowly want to introduce back into T20 cricket because they have a little more depth in conditions like these and are used to them as well, like we saw when he played in England and overseas," Manjrekar said on Sony Sports.
"That is the path for Shubman Gill going forward. It won't happen immediately, but I think you will slowly start seeing him back in India's T20 plans."
Meanwhile, former India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani reckons selectors missed an opportunity by leaving teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the Ireland T20Is, and says he should now be backed for the white-ball series against England.
Much against expectations, Sooryavanshi did not make his senior India debut during the two-match T20I series against Ireland, which India lost 0-2. With all eyes now on the five-match T20I series against England, starting at Chester-le-Street, the teenage batting prodigy is once again in line for a maiden international cap.
Former India wicketkeeper and 1983 World Cup winner Syed Kirmani called the decision to leave out the 15-year-old in Belfast an error of judgement and urged the team management to back him against England.
"Indeed, it was a mistake to not play him against Ireland. I was really surprised not to see him in the second T20I after India had lost the first one against Ireland. And we all saw what happened. We should show more resolve in including him in the India XI rather than letting him sit in the dressing room for the entire duration of the match," said Kirmani.
"He is a super talent. He is an entertainer. I see cricket because of him. They are marketing this series around him. See the broadcasters...we see him in trailers but not in the main movie, what is this?" Kirmani said.
(With PTI inputs)
Sanju Samson
India Cricket Team
Ireland Cricket Team