On October 12 (Thursday) when news broke about India batter Shubman Gill batting in the net in Ahmedabad, the Indian cricket fans breathed a sigh of relief. Gill, who had to miss the nation's opening two fixtures of the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup due to dengue, flew from Chennai to Ahmedabad and is currently getting his rhythm back after missing 10 days of action. With India slated to cross swords against their arch-rivals Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14 (Saturday), all eyes are firmly perched on Gill and whether he will be fit enough to make his way back into the playing XI.
Former chief selector MSK Prasad has no doubts in his mind. Prasad reckons that Gill has recovered and he is too big of a player to miss out on the blockbuster match.
"I think we can put an end to all kinds of speculations. Shubman Gill will definitely play this game (vs Pakistan). He's too good a player to miss out. He had just a fever. He has recovered. It was not threatening at all that we would even think about replacements. It's all rumours that are coming out (about the seriousness of the illness) in whatever form that you are hearing," Prasad told Hindustan Times.
"What we heard was that as a matter of precaution, he couldn't play the second game otherwise he was fine. He stayed back for one more day in Chennai as a precaution. He recovered well, and was discharged. See if someone is playing for 1 hour, that means he has recovered. This is an all-important game against Pakistan. If he is fit, which I'm sure he is, then he should be in India's playing XI," he added.
If Gill returns, it will be a massive boost to the Men in Blue. Talking about Gill's numbers in 2023, he has scored the most runs in ODIs among all the batters. The attractive batter has amassed 1,230 runs in 20 innings at a stupendous average of over 72. Gill has notched five centuries and as many half-centuries in 50-over international cricket in 2023. The Gujarat Titans' batter also registered a double century in the ODIs earlier in the year.
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