Shubman Gill’s availability for India’s World Cup opener is in doubt due to high fever. The 24-year-old opener was the only player who didn’t attend their three-hour practice session at Chepauk on Thursday afternoon.
It is understood that Gill will be tested on Friday for dengue before a call on his participation for the game against Australia is taken.
“He’s under the weather, the medical team is closely monitoring him. We are hoping he gets better soon. We will have to wait on more updates from the medical team,” a BCCI official said.
If Gill isn’t available for selection, Ishan Kishan – he is currently jostling for a middle-order spot – is likely to open the batting alongside skipper Rohit Sharma. While he has batted in all positions from No. 1 to 5 in ODI cricket, he’s a natural fit as an attacking opening batter. His highest score in the format – 210 against Bangladesh in December 2022 – came at the top of the order. In India’s training session on Thursday, Kishan was among the first to head to the nets for a batting stint, alongside Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin in adjacent nets.
Gill’s likely absence is a blow for India nonetheless. He’s the highest run-getter in ODIs this year with 1230 runs in 20 matches including five centuries, one of which was a double ton against New Zealand in January. Playing his first ODI World Cup, Gill is integral to India’s campaign. “He is, right now, fearless. He is in good form. He can be the game changer. He can break the shackles. When somebody is fearless and in good form, he is definitely in a good position to win games for India. That’s what I am looking for from him,” former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh said of Gill in a recent interview.
