The bench strength of the Indian team is currently better than the full strength teams of many countries. We are seeing the biggest example of this in the ongoing series against West Indies. IPL has also matured Indian young players to play at the world level. Due to this, young players are showcasing their talent at the international level.
There are many contenders for the opening position in the team at this time. Rohit Sharma’s place is fixed but there are many options available to be his partner in ODIs. India have a lot of young openers who are being groomed from a future point of view.
Today, in this article, we take a look at 3 young players who could India’s next big thing in opening position.
Ishan Kishan
Explosive opener Ishan Kishan has presented the claim of almost a backup opener in T20 in full swing. In ODIs, Kishan got the opportunity to open only once in which he scored 28 runs. Ishan has played a total of 3 ODIs, in which he has scored a total of 88 runs.
India’s veteran batsman Shikhar Dhawan has come of age and probably the team will also look beyond him after the 2023 World Cup. In such a situation, Ishan Kishan can be an ideal replacement. Ishan is also as aggressive as Dhawan and with his arrival, the team will also get the option of a wicketkeeper.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj is yet to make his ODI debut, the biggest reason for which is the abundance of players in the team. Before him, many promising players have made their debuts and have cemented their place and due to which, Gaikwad has not been able to get many opportunities.
Ruturaj has scored 135 runs in eight innings played in T20Is at an average of 16.87, in which he also has a half-century to his name. His figures in T20 are not very impressive. However, his figures in 50 overs in domestic cricket are superb. He also scored the most runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy played last season.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has enormous talent and could be groomed as a substitute for Rohit Sharma or KL Rahul for the foreseeable future.
Shubman Gill
Indian young opening batsman Shubman Gill is currently leading the race for backup opener slot for ODIs. Whenever Shubman has been given opportunities, he has proved himself not only in Tests but also in ODIs. He has played only 5 matches in ODIs so far in which he has scored 156 runs at an average of 31.20 and also has one half-century to his name.
Gill has the ability to adapt his game according to the situation and in the times to come, he will get better as he gains experience. He could be a future star at the opening slot for India.
