In a shocking development, Shubman Gill has been tested positive for Dengue. He is likely to miss the opener game against Australia, which is scheduled to be played on Sunday in Chennai.
It’s a big blow to the Indian side as Gill was carrying great form and could’ve been a game-changer. However, in a long tournament like the World Cup, all the teams prepare the backups for such situations.
Although Gill is a different class altogether, the Men in Blue have potential players ready to take up the charge. Here we take a look at three batters who can pair up with Rohit Sharma to form the opening pair against Australia:
1) Ishan Kishan
The think tank has hinted numerous times that Ishan Kishan is the backup opener in the squad. He was tested in the middle-order when Shreyas Iyer was injured and Suryakumar Yadav failed to utilise the opportunities.
However, once they both started to perform, Kishan started to fade away as a middle-order batter. With the opening slot available for the Australia match, he can surely get to bat at his natural position.
Kishan can be a good attacking option to take on the Aussie pacers. His inclusion will also ensure the presence of a left-handed batter at the crease in the right-handed dominating batting line-up of India.