Shubman Gill is set to make his ODI Cricket World Cup debut as he returns to the Indian cricket team playing XI for the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gill was unable to play in India’s first two matches against Australia and Afghanistan due to illness, specifically dengue. He has replaced Ishan Kishan in the playing XI and will be opening the batting alongside captain Rohit Sharma.
After winning the toss, Rohit announced the playing XI and expressed his sympathy for Ishan’s exclusion. He said, “Gill is back in place of Ishan, unfortunate for Ishan to miss out, feel for him, he stepped up when we needed him. Gill has been a special player for us over the past year or so, especially at this ground and we wanted him back.”
Opting to bowl first, Rohit emphasized the significance of the match and the electric atmosphere surrounding it. He recognized that dew could play a significant role and hence the decision to bowl first. Rohit also highlighted the importance of maintaining a relaxed atmosphere within the team throughout the tournament.
The Indian playing XI for the match includes: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
The Pakistani playing XI for the match includes: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf.