'Abhishek Sharma should get…': Ex-Indian selector makes earnest request to Gautam Gambhir for Sri Lanka series
The ex-Indian selector feels Gautam Gambhir and Co. should pick Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as India's openers for the Sri Lanka series.
India's young opening pairing of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill powered the visitors to a comfortable win over Zimbabwe in the fourth T20I on Saturday. Chasing a modest target of 153, Jaiswal played a sublime knock of 93 while skipper Gill chipped in with 58 as Team India recorded a 10-wicket win to seal the five-match series 3-1 at the Harare Sports Club.
With India set to take on Sri Lanka in its upcoming assignment, former national selectors Saba Karim feels the Gautam Gambhir-coached side should pick Jaiswal and Shubman as openers for the white-ball series. Karim feels Gill and Jaiswal can take the vacant slots left by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in T20Is. The batting icons announced their retirements from the shortest format after India claimed its second T20 World Cup title in the Caribbean.
'I feel Abhishek Sharma should get a place…'
Talking about the Sri Lanka series, Karim urged Gambhir and Co. to keep Abhishek Sharma in the 15-member squad. "The most important positions will be in the top order only. I feel the selectors should go with these two (Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill) only. I feel Abhishek Sharma should get a place at least in the 15 because you have Rishabh Pant at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4," Karim told Sony Sports.
'Gautam Gambhir is the head coach, so what…'
India will have a new T20I captain when the Men In Blue tour Sri Lanka for the twin white-ball series. India will be touring the island nation later this month for three T20 Internationals and as many One Day Internationals (ODIs). "It also depends on who is the captain in T20Is. Gautam Gambhir is the head coach, so what is the thinking of the captain and head coach, and how they want to take the team forward. They will have to select players accordingly. Ruturaj Gaikwad is also there. So many players are staking a claim in the top order," he added.
