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Star batter Shubman Gill missed Team India's opening game of the World Cup campaign against Australia due to dengue fever. It is also confirmed that the opening batter will miss the upcoming Afghanistan clash, with reports surfacing on his potential absence for an extended time.
Reports also suggest that the team management is considering including Ruturaj Gaikwad or Yashasvi Jaiswal as cover for Gill. While the decision on Gill is still to be taken, the duo of Gaikwad and Jaiswal have each impressed in their brief international career.
They recently helped India win the gold in their maiden appearance at the Asian Games cricket competition in China. Hence, all is not lost for the Men in Blue despite Gill being in incredible form in ODIs with an average of 72.35 and a strike rate of over 105.
However, only one of Gaikwad or Jaiswal can replace Shubman Gill in the Indian World Cup squad should he be ruled out of the rest of the tournament.
With that in mind, let us look at who would be the ideal replacement for Gill between the duo.
#1 Overall numbers favor Jaiswal over Gaikwad
While Ruturaj Gaikwad's numbers across formats in domestic cricket are nothing to sneeze at, they pale in comparison to the astounding numbers of Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Although ODIs are different from red-ball cricket, it is worth mentioning that Jaiswal has shown a propensity for the long haul far more than the Maharashtra batter. The southpaw averages a stunning 81.19 in 17 first-class games to Gaikwad's 42.19 in 28 matches.
Jaiswal has also performed well in crunch games, with a blistering 213 and 144 for the Rest of India in the Irani Trophy earlier this year. The southpaw was also the leading run-scorer in the Duleep Trophy in September last year, scoring an incredible 497 runs in three games at a Bradmanesque average of 99.40.
However, Gaikwad isn't far behind in performing on the big day, as evidenced by a brilliant 26 off 16 deliveries in CSK's successful run chase of 172 in 15 overs in IPL 2023 final. Both batters had scintillating IPL seasons, with the CSK opener scoring 590 runs at an average of 42.14 and a strike rate of 147.50. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter, on the other hand, piled on 625 runs at a 48.08 average and 163.61 strike rate.
Yashasvi Jaiswal also has an advantage over Gaikwad from a numbers perspective in international cricket. While Gaikwad is yet to play in Tests, Jaiswal scored a breathtaking 171 on debut against the West Indies a few months back and averaged 88.66 in two games.
The only format both players have represented India remains T20s. In that, Jaiswal again has a significant edge, with an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 161.11 compared to Gaikwad's 27.70 at a 127.64 strike rate.
Advantage: Yashasvi Jaiswal
#2 International experience and recent form
The World Cup is the biggest stage in cricket, so boasting international experience helps massively to overcome the situational and media pressure. While Gaikwad and Jaiswal are relatively newcomers to international cricket, the former has played significantly more and for longer.
Gaikwad has played 18 white-ball games for Team India, including four ODIs (the format of the ongoing World Cup), to Jaiswal's eight T20Is and two Tests.
Another crucial factor that should be considered is the recent form of the duo in International cricket, as it often trumps reputation in a month-long tournament like the World Cup.
Both players played in India's gold Medal triumph in the recently concluded Asian Games. Gaikwad scored 65 runs in two innings, including a 40* in their semi-final win against Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Jaiswal became the youngest Indian batter to score a T20I century with his 49-ball 100 in the Asian Games quarter-final against Nepal. The youngster also played five T20Is against the West Indies and Ireland, scoring one half-century.
On the other hand, Gaikwad played the T20I series against Ireland, scoring a half-century in the final game. He also played in the first two ODIs against Australia and notched up his maiden half-century with a classy 71 in India's successful run-chase of 277.
International Experience: Ruturaj Gaikwad
Recent form: Tie
Advantage : Ruturaj Gaikwad
#3 Better fit for the World Cup squad
Despite all the numbers-crunching swaying the decision towards one or the other player, the fit within the batting lineup and fellow opening partner is often the more vital factor to be looked at.
Considering Ruturaj Gaikwad was picked to partner Shubman Gill in the ODI series against Australia and his prior experience in the format, it is a no-brainer to go ahead with the right-hander hierarchically as Gill's replacement.
However, the much-discussed value of a right and left opening combination cannot be underestimated, which makes Jaiswal a more feasible opening partner for skipper Rohit Sharma.
With Rohit revamping his ODI game to being aggressive from the start of the innings, India may opt for the more solid opener in Jaiswal. Yet, the other way to look at it is with the evolution of 50-over cricket, going on an all-out attack from both ends could be beneficial, hence favoring Jaiswal.
Therefore, selection based on the above intangible factors is a coin flip, as each player has one box ticked over the other.
Advantage: Tie
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