In 2024, Shikhar Dhawan, the former opener for India, announced his retirement from international cricket after nearly two years of absence. Shubman Gill, at least in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), has emerged as India’s chosen opening batsman with Rohit Sharma following Dhawan’s dismissal, and his statistics speak for themselves.
With a remarkable average of 62.13, Gill has scored 2734 runs in 52 ODIs thus far, including eight hundreds and fifteen half-centuries. The Punjab batsman also has a double hundred in the format, which he achieved in January 2023 in Trivandrum against Sri Lanka. Gill has built the ideal partnership with partner and captain Rohit Sharma, scoring 1976 runs in 31 innings at an average of 65.86. This includes six partnerships of 100 or more, which is really outstanding.
Dhawan has stated that he enjoys watching Shubman Gill bat and that he thinks Gill’s style of play has a touch of sophistication. The Delhi native believes that the squad is benefiting from Rohit’s willingness to be open with young players because the younger hitters benefit from the experience and are developed more quickly in these circumstances.
The batting of Shubman Gill is so elegant and sophisticated that I adore it. Additionally, it’s consistent, and it’s encouraging to see how professional everything is. Some of the young lads are making back-to-back runs and are adept at their roles. For India, he has a bright future and present. With his many years of experience, Rohit must be sharing his love of playing with children. In addition to coaching them how to play in certain scenarios, he must be giving them pats on the back. Through JioHotstar, Dhawan stated, “These little communications are really important.”
Excellent chance for Harshit Rana without Bumrah: Shikhar Dhawan
Jasprit Bumrah is a pacer for India who can open with some explosive spells and hit immediately, much like Gill is important as an opener with the bat. But because to a back injury, Bumrah had to leave the competition right before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which was now taking place. Harshit Rana, a young bowler, took his place. Although Bumrah’s absence in the dressing room creates a hole, Dhawan believes that Rana’s intensity and desire will benefit the Men in Blue early.
Shikhar Dhawan about Harshit Rana being given a chance when Jasprit Bumrah was away An very well-known bowler is Jasprit Bumrah. There, his performance is very reliable. Naturally, his presence was greatly missed. Regardless of what others may say, I am convinced that his presence is crucial. Harshit Rana is on a very strong footing. He is aggressive and passionate, and I enjoy how he takes wickets. He has a great opportunity, with Virat and Rohit providing leadership. He ought to take note of their lessons and seize this chance.
On Sunday, March 2, India will play New Zealand in their last league stage match. Both Rana and Gill are expected to play. Given that both teams have already advanced to the semi-finals, the game, which will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, will give them more confidence.
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