Indian cricket team opener Shubman Gill, who recently suffered a shin injury while training for the upcoming England Test series in the United Kingdom (UK), is likely to be out of action for six to eight weeks. The 21-year-old right-handed batsman is also reportedly set to fly back home.
If the latest reports in the TOI are to be believed, the Indian management is keen on replacing Gill with the in-form Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw. It is also to be noted that the Indian Test squad already has the services of openers Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran who can partner Rohit Sharma at the top.
If reports of the team management being keen on bringing over Prithvi Shaw to the Test squad in England is true, it could be very disheartening for Abhimanyu Easwaran. Good enough to be in the reserves but not good enough to be third opener? I think he is.
— Shashank Kishore (@captainshanky) July 3, 2021
Meanwhile, Prithvi Shaw is currently in Sri Lanka preparing for the upcoming ODI and T20I series.
📸📸 Snapshots from #TeamIndia's first training session in Sri Lanka 💪💪#SLvIND pic.twitter.com/hzBx8DNye2
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 2, 2021
It is also understood that Ravi Shastri-led think tank has officially submitted a formal request to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to fly the Mumbai cricketer from Sri Lanka to England at the earliest.
After scoring a century on his debut Test match against the West Indies in October 2018, Shaw found red-ball cricket challenging during the unsuccessful tour of New Zealand and Australia in 2020. The 21-year-old could only manage 102 runs in six innings in his stint Down Under, which eventually led to the youngster’s axing from the Test side.
However, the opener responded strongly by smashing 800-plus runs in the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Later, Shaw also showed glimpses of his talent in the the first half of the Indian T20 League earlier in the year.
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the strict quarantine rules, the BCCI will need to make a quick decision on whether or not to send Shaw over to England as a replacement opener for Gill.
Till now, Shaw has represented India in five Tests and has scored 339 runs at an average of 42.37.
Featured photo: Marty MELVILLE / AFP
