World Cup 2023: Who will step in as opener for Team India if Shubman Gill is unavailable?

PTC Web Desk: Worries for the Indian cricket team ahead of their opening World Cup match against Australia have intensified as Shubman Gill, who has been in excellent form, is suspected to be down with dengue. This has raised doubts about his availability for Sunday's crucial match against Australia, with the possibility that Ishan Kishan might step in as the opener.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not officially confirmed the nature of Shubman Gill's illness, but head coach Rahul Dravid remains cautiously optimistic.

The medical team is monitoring him, and he is reportedly showing improvement.  Rahul Dravid, known for his cautious approach, refrained from making a definitive statement, stating, "He is not ruled out for the first game. The medical team is monitoring him, and we will make a decision soon."

However, behind the scenes, the situation appears less optimistic. A BCCI source said, "Shubman Gill is unwell, and he is not in a position to play at least the first two games of the World Cup."

Earlier, the BCCI had mentioned that they were awaiting updates on Gill's condition, stating, "The medical team is closely monitoring him. We are hopeful he recovers soon. We will need to wait for further updates from the medical team."

Gill, who has been India's most consistent batsman in ODIs recently, is reportedly suffering from a high fever.

While it seems likely that Gill may not feature in the game against Australia, there is also a significant risk that he might miss the matches against Afghanistan (on October 11) and Pakistan (on October 14) if his recovery takes longer.

- With inputs from agencies

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