Dhawan and Gill opened in the first ODI against Zimbabwe, while Rahul was to bat at No.3.
Former Indian selector Saba Karim has shared his opinion on Team India's opening combination in ODI cricket. The former wicketkeeper-batsman believes that KL Rahul, keeping the ICC World Cup 2023 in mind, should bat at number four in the 50-over format.
He further said that Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma will be Team India's first-choice openers, so Shubman Gill should be groomed as a backup opener for the World Cup 2023.
He also described Gill as a three-dimensional player who can play in all three formats of the game.
Notably, the opening pair of Gill and Dhawan is doing very well in ODIs recently, and, seeing the performance of the young opener, many former cricketers suggest the Indian team management prepare him as a backup opener for the World Cup 2023.
Saba Karim said while speaking to India News: “KL Rahul's place at this time is No.4. This is the reason Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill opened the batting in the first ODI against Zimbabwe. India's selectors and team management are looking for a backup opener for the 2023 World Cup.”
He continued, “Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will serve as front-line openers, while Gill can fulfill the role of a backup opener. It is very difficult to play across three formats with the right technique, but Gill possesses all those elements. His temperament is good.”
Karim signed off by saying, “He had to go through tough challenges where he scored runs. This is a good phase for Shubman and I think the team management has marked him as a player who can play all three formats, which is a big thing.”