"It might be a direct shoot-out between him and Shubman Gill" - Aakash Chopra lauds Ruturaj Gaikwad's performances in IND vs AUS T20Is

Aakash Chopra reckons Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill might compete for an opener's position in India's T20 World Cup squad.

Gaikwad managed only 10 runs off 12 deliveries in the Men in Blue's six-run win in the final T20I against Australia in Bengaluru on Sunday. However, he finished as the highest run-scorer in the five-match series, amassing 223 runs at an excellent average of 55.75 and an equally impressive strike rate of 159.28.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted the significance of Gaikwad's performances against Australia in staking a claim for a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad. He explained (5:50):

"Ruturaj Gaikwad - he said that he is there. Ruturaj is going to have stiff competition because Shubman Gill also plays like that. Rohit Sharma will also come now. So suddenly you will feel that you aren't even able to pick two among the three."

The former India opener added:

"So these runs were necessary. Keep scoring runs so that you are part of the squad when the World Cup comes. From his point of view, it's important that he remains a part of the squad. It might be a direct shoot-out between him and Shubman Gill. You might keep one of them as both do similar things in T20 cricket."

Chopra acknowledged that Gill might have gone far ahead of Gaikwad in ODI and Test cricket. However, he added that the two stylish batters bring the same attributes to the table in the game's shortest format.

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"Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored enough runs that you will keep him in mind" - Aakash Chopra

Yashasvi Jaiswal couldn't covert his explosive starts into substantial efforts. [P/C: AP]

Aakash Chopra feels Yashasvi Jaiswal has done enough to keep himself in the mix. He elaborated (7:00):

"Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored enough runs that you will keep him in mind - left-right combination at the top. You will get a left-hander down the order in the form of Rinku (Singh). He could have scored a few more runs. He got out in the powerplay in all five matches."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the left-handed opener has shown aggressive intent and the ability to adjust his game across formats. He said:

"He is aggressive and plays in one fashion. He has got this versatility - he knows how to bat in Tests and T20Is, eventually he will play ODIs too. He has done a very good job from his perspective. He is putting his name."

Chopra reckons there could be a shoot-out between Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan. He expects one of the two left-handed openers to be a part of India's T20 World Cup squad.