Two of India’s most iconic cricketers, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, are in the twilight of their celebrated careers and will soon walk into the sunset of their lives as active cricketers, having already exited T20 internationals. But who are the two players among the young crop who come closest to filling those big shoes? Former India cricketers answered that question and interestingly picked the same names.
Talking on the Star Sports show ‘Deep Point’, Sanjay Manjekar and Sanjay Bangar were asked that question in the context of white-ball cricketand both felt it’s going to be India’s top-order batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill who will carry the legacy forward.
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“In white-ball cricket, Shubman Gill will continue to perform, I believe. He has already scored 200 (in an ODI),” said Manjrekar in his reply. “Yashasvi, we have seen (him perform) in Tests…but for him that world (ODIs and T20Is) is there to capture. He has it in him; when he gets the opportunity, he will do it.”
Yashasvi’s white-ball career hasn’t taken off like his numbers in Test cricket at this stage. In fact, he is yet to make his ODI debut, while he has played 23 T20Is so far, scoring 723 runs with a highest of 100, average of 36.15 and strike rate of 164.31, including a century and five fifties.
In comparison, Jaiswal has had a brilliant run in Test cricket since making his debut in 2023. In 36 innings across 19 Tests, Jaiswal has scored 1798 runs at an average of 52.88, including 4 hundreds, two of which have been double centuries, and 10 fifties.
Bangar Concurred with Manjrekar.
“They (Gill and Jaiswal) bat at the top of the order, where you get the most chances (to score). They are in the same age group like what Rohit and Virat were in 2013 (Champions Trophy). Yashasvi Jaiswal is a little younger…the age gap (with Gill) is just of a year or two. Both have had a brilliant start to their international careers. So I think they are the new generation trendsetters for the Indian team,” said Bangar.
Gill has already been touted as India’s future captain at some stage during his career, which has so far seen him play 32 Tests, 47 ODIs and 21 T20Is.
He has scored the most in 50-over internationals so far, notching up 2328 runs at an average of 58.20, including 6 centuries and 13 fifties. In T20Is, his numbers read 578 runs at an average of 30.42 and strike rate of 139.7, including 1 century and 3 fifties.
In Tests, Gill has scored 1893 runs at an average of 35.05, including 5 hundreds and 7 fifties.
