Cricket
Ajit Agarkar’s T20WC selection questioned over snubbing ‘future leader’: ‘Would have picked Shubman Gill over Jaiswal’
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In a toss-up between Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal over who would retain the opening position alongside captain Rohit Sharma in India’s T20 World Cup squad, the left-hander won the battle. Even as Gill was the front-runner until mid-2023, the promising emergence of Jaiswal, following a stunning IPL season, saw the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee trust the Rajasthan Royals batter for the role in the impending ICC event while the Gujarat Titans captain was demoted to the reserves list.
On Tuesday, speaking on Sky Sports, former England captain Eoin Morgan questioned the absence of Gill from the Indian squad. Having shared the dressing room with him back during their Kolkata Knight Riders days, he reckoned that he would rather have Gill, who is a potential future India captain over Jaiswal in the squad.
“The only decision I would have had differently and if I was selecting the squad, I would have Shubman Gill over Yashasvi Jaiswal. I have played alongside him, I know how he thinks. I know how he works,” he said.
“I feel he’s a future leader within that side and I think in big moments, in World Cups the more leaders the better. Even if he’s sitting on the sideline, you still need inspiration from here and there, a sense of positivity.”
Morgan, however, identified the Indian team as the strongest side of all the 20 participants in the impending T20 World Cup that begins from June 1 onwards.
“The strongest side even with injuries throughout the tournament is India. Their strength and depth is absolutely incredible,” Morgan said. “And it’s almost probably, we’re talking about who the players that were missed out in their squad of 15 because of the quality that they possess. They are favourites for me, the quality they have on paper, if they produce it I think they can beat anybody quite well in the tournament.”
India will begin their campaign in the T20 World Cup on June 5 against Ireland in New York followed by the blockbuster clash against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. The Men in Blue will also play a warm-up game before the start ofg the tournament, on June 1 against Bangladesh.
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