Ravi Shastri Provides Insight on India’s Decision to Not Utilize Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill as Opening Pair in World Cup

With the commencement of the countdown to the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, India is eagerly aiming to break their prolonged wait for an ICC title, as their last triumph was back in 2013. The team’s previous success in the 50-over format came under the captaincy of MS Dhoni in 2011. However, there exist certain disparities within the Indian squads concerning the composition of batsmen. Ravi Shastri, the former head coach of India who possesses extensive experience in observing and guiding the team, has expressed doubts about the likelihood of the current opening partnership of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill being utilized by the team management during the highly anticipated tournament.

Due to KL Rahul’s injury, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have become India’s preferred opening combination in ODIs. However, Ravi Shastri believes that this partnership is unlikely to be chosen for the World Cup because neither of them is a left-handed batsman.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge. We’ll have to assess closer to the event. Form becomes crucial once again. Finding the right balance is essential. Do you believe having a left-hander at the top would make a difference? It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the opening position, but within the top three or four. We need to carefully consider all those options. Ideally, within the top six, I would prefer to see two left-handers,” Shastri stated during an interview with The Week.

Ravi Shastri, the ex-head coach of India, emphasized the significant contributions made by left-handed batsmen such as Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina during India’s victorious campaign in the 2011 World Cup.

“Every time we have performed well, left-handers have played a significant role. Look at the 2011 World Cup, where the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina made valuable contributions. If we go back to 1974, we had players like Alvin Kallicharran, Roy Fredericks, and Clive Lloyd. The same pattern emerged in 1979. The 1983 team was the only exception without a left-hander, but that tournament itself was a remarkable feat against all odds. In 1987, Australia had enough left-handed firepower with Allan Border leading the way and a few more down the order. In 1996, Sri Lanka demonstrated it once again with the presence of Sanath Jayasuriya, Arjuna Ranatunga, and Asanka Gurusinha. And then there were the Australian teams with players like Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden. Now, England possesses that mix and balance. It’s crucial to create that combination,” Shastri explained.