Bench strength on trial; Shubman Gill injury opens T20I auditions as NZ series, T20 World Cup loom | Cricket News
LUCKNOW: While Shubman Gill’s latest injury has disrupted India’s immediate plans, it has simultaneously created an opportunity for the team management to experiment within the T20I setup. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The toe injury, while unfortunate for the stylish opener, has inadvertently cleared the deck for the think-tank to stress-test the bench strength not just for the T20I series finale against South Africa in Ahmedabad, but crucially for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand slated for January next year.
Sources indicate that the selection committee, along with the team management, wants to leverage this enforced absence to firm up the batting combination. One selector, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the upcoming New Zealand T20Is demand a proactive approach, adding that every available game before Feb 2026 should effectively be treated as an extended trial. The primary beneficiary of Gill’s absence is likely to be Yashasvi Jaiswal. The southpaw has been waiting in the wings, his aggressive intent in the Powerplay viewed by many as the perfect template for modern T20 cricket.
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However, he isn’t the only name floating. Insiders reveal that there is a strong temptation to revive the option of Sanju Samson returning to the opening slot. Samson, whose career has often been a game of snakes and ladders, offers a destructive capacity in the Powerplay that the management values highly, especially on the batting-friendly Indian tracks. Samson and Abhishek Sharma formed a potent, aggressive T20I opening pair for India, scoring 267 runs in 12 innings at a high run-rate of 9.82 (averaging 22.25). The intrigue, however, isn’t limited to the opening slot. Perhaps the most significant development brewing in the corridors of the selection committee is the potential recalibration of KL Rahul’s role. Reports emerging suggest that Rahul is being seriously considered for a middle-order wicketkeeper-batter slot. The logic is sound: with the top heavy with explosive talent, the team requires a seasoned hand in the middle overs who can arrest a collapse or accelerate at will. Sources indicate that the management is eager to see if Rahul can replicate his ODI utility in the shortest format. Rinku Singh’s name, too, is doing the rounds after his omission from the South Africa T20Is. Dropped more due to combinations than form, Rinku remains highly rated internally for his composure under pressure and clarity in finishing roles. Furthermore, the swashbuckling century by Ruturaj Gaikwad in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa has not gone unnoticed. While he is naturally an opener, his ability to adapt to game situations makes him a dark horse in these deliberations. In contrast, the bowling department appears largely settled, offering the team management a sense of continuity. The presence of seam-bowling allrounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube provides invaluable balance, effectively giving the captain the luxury of choosing between an extra pacer or spinner based on conditions. Their roles also cushion the impact of batting experiments, allowing India to field deeper line-ups without sacrificing bowling options. Axar Patel’s illness, however, has briefly unsettled that equilibrium. His absence has brought another left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed back into the picture after a prolonged period on the fringes. Shahbaz’s domestic performances have been gritty, but the hierarchy seems clear. It is Washington Sundar who is poised to get the first look-in. Washington’s Powerplay bowling prowess and his improved batting chops make him the like-for-like replacement for the balance the team seeks.
