Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma has expressed confidence that Shubman Gill will make his debut in the highly anticipated Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Pakistan, stating there is a “99 per cent chance” of him playing. Gill was unable to participate in the first two matches of the tournament against Australia and Afghanistan due to illness, specifically dengue. However, he joined the team in Ahmedabad and even took part in a batting practice session on Thursday. Gill’s performances in all three formats over the past year have been impressive.
When asked about Gill’s health at the pre-match press conference, Rohit responded, “99 per cent he (Gill) will play. We’ll see tomorrow (Saturday) about that.”
Gill has had a remarkable year in ODIs, scoring 1,230 runs at an average of 72.35 and a strike rate of just over 105 in 20 matches. He has recorded five centuries and five fifties, with his highest score being 208.
In their previous match against Afghanistan, India secured an 8-wicket victory. After bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s outstanding performance of 4/39 restricted Afghanistan to a target of 273, the Indian top order, including Rohit Sharma (131), Ishan Kishan (47), and Virat Kohli (55*), led the team to a comfortable win with more than 14 overs remaining.
The teams for the match are as follows:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
(With ANI inputs)