"Shubman is the ideal candidate to come in at No. 3" - Saba Karim on Shubman Gill potentially taking Virat Kohli's place in 1st IND vs AFG T20I

Saba Karim reckons Shubman Gill is ideally suited to take Virat Kohli's place at No. 3 in the first T20I between India and Afghanistan.

The Men in Blue will face Ibrahim Zadran and company in a three-match T20I series, with the first game to be played in Mohali on Thursday, January 11. Kohli has opted out of the game for personal reasons.

During a discussion on Sports 18, Karim was asked about Gill potentially taking Kohli's place at No. 3. He responded:

"At No. 3, you have to come to bat in the powerplay at times and sometimes after the powerplay, but your aim, in the end, should be to play big shots and accelerate as soon as you go in. I feel Shubman is capable of batting at No. 3."

The former India wicketkeeper-batter added:

"In today's era, I feel Rahul Dravid's thinking will also be to develop young players who are multi-dimensional and multi-faceted, and have the flexibility to bat at any number. So I feel Shubman is the ideal candidate to come in at No. 3 although he knows that he will get a limited number of chances."

Karim noted that Gill hasn't been in prolific form across formats over the last few months. He urged the youngster to make it count if he gets an opportunity to play at No. 3.

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"If Virat had played here, Shubman Gill might not have played" - Pragyan Ojha

Shubman Gill has aggregated 312 runs at a below-par average of 26.00 in 13 T20Is. [P/C: Getty]

Pragyan Ojha pointed out that Virat Kohli's absence will potentially help Shubman Gill get a place in the XI, which he might not have got otherwise as Yashasvi Jaiswal is supposed to open with Rohit Sharma. He observed:

"When you are playing for India, the most important thing is for you to get a chance. If Virat had played here, Shubman Gill might not have played because we know that Yashasvi is getting an opportunity."

The former India spinner added that luck has favored the Punjab batter. He reasoned:

"I feel there isn't too much difference between an opener and No. 3. The fearless way in which he plays, the strike rate we always talk about, he has taken that route. I feel it's a God-given chance because this is the only T20 series before the World Cup."

Ojha acknowledged that Gill will get a chance to showcase his prowess in IPL 2024 as well. However, he added that good performances for the country hold special significance.