The ODI series against Zimbabwe will be KL Rahul’s dress rehearsal ahead of the Asia Cup and hence he is set to replace Shubman Gill at the top of the order along with Shikhar Dhawan.
The T20 World Cup is paramount and Gill could be ranked number three as far as the shortest format is concerned to ensure that his captain gets enough playing time ahead of the continental championship in the UAE. , starting August 27th.
Provided that all three are fit and available for all games in the series.
While Rahul Dravid will not be leading the support staff team for the short three-match series starting in Harare from August 18, NCA chief VVS Laxman is almost certain to follow the blue-print set by the head coach.
Rahul’s return also spells trouble for the young Gill, who played a stellar 50-over series in the West Indies, where he scored an unbeaten 64, 43 and 98 in three matches to win the Player of the Series award.
So, will Rahul allow Gill to continue his good form at the top of the order or put himself out there initially with an eye on the Asia Cup?
“I think Shubman is being groomed properly by the Indian team management. While they have done very well in Caribbean ODIs, what I can infer from the philosophy of this team is to prepare players for multiple slots. So I think Shubman may have to come in at No 3 for this particular series,” former national selector and Test opener Devang Gandhi gave his point of view.
In the 50-over set-up since the home series against England in 2021, Rahul was touted as a middle-order anchor rather than an opener, but once he was the captain in the ODI series in South Africa , so he had promoted himself. an opener.