Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has backed Prithvi Shaw to be India’s opener at the 2024 T20 World Cup. He expressed that he sees the youngster opening the innings at the mega-event if the Indian selectors have started looking beyond Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20 format.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have not played a single T20I for Team India in the past few months. They last played T20 in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England. Talks about the Indian selectors looking beyond the senior duo have started doing the rounds. The Indian team has given an opportunity to youngsters in the last few months. However, Prithvi Shaw hasn’t yet got a chance.
The Mumbai batter is part of India’s squad in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand. Gautam Gambhir was surprised at Shaw not getting an opportunity in the first two matches. He said on Star Sports,
“Surprised again (that he has not got opportunities vs New Zealand). I feel you have got to give him an opportunity and you have to give him a longer rope, especially in the T20 format, because I see him opening the batting in 2024 if the selectors have started to look beyond Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.”
T20 comes very naturally to Prithvi Shaw: Gautam Gambhir
Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir further expressed that Prithvi Shaw and Ishan Kishan should be given the freedom to express themselves at the top. He added that Shubman Gill has done well recently, but Shaw and Ishan are more suited to T20 cricket. Gambhir stated that T20 cricket comes naturally to Prithvi Shaw. He said,
“You have to persist with Prithvi Shaw and Ishan Kishan, and those guys can actually go out there and play with the template that we have spoken about for such a long time. Yes, Shubman Gill has done really well in the 50-over format, but if there is one player in this squad for whom T20 comes very naturally, it’s Prithvi Shaw and that’s his game.”
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