ICC World Cup 2023: Ishan for Shubman is a no-brainer for Cheeka

Who should open the batting with Rohit Sharma if dengue-afflicted Shubman Gill fails to make it in the playing XI against Australia today?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth, (nicknamed Cheeka) the ex-swashbuckling opener, captain and chief selector of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team, had no hesitation in pointing to Ishan Kishan.

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“It has to be him. It’s an opportunity to have a left-right combination. Why we waste it,” he remarked.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth. Pic/AFP

For Chennai-based Srikkanth, KL Rahul is only an option. “You have to keep in mind that Rahul will keep wickets and may feel tired after ‘keeping for 50 overs,” he said.

Srikkanth was curious about how serous is Gill’s illness. “We don’t know how long he will take [to recover]. Dengue makes one very weak. We should take a wise call before keeping him in the XI. We have to remember that the game against Pakistan is a week away and we have to field the best XI  against them,” Srikkanth emphasised.