‘Got Jaiswal still coming into the series’ - Andy Flower lauds Abhishek Sharma, opens up competition in Indian team

Abhishek Sharma with a century in the second T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare more or less confirmed his berth for the third match of the series. Ruturaj Gaikwad too looked in great touch and that leaves no room for Yashasvi Jaiswal in the playing XI. Shubman Gill, being the captain is unlikely to take a break, which leaves Jaiswal with no option but to wait for his opportunity.

However, given the fact that the youngster was part of the Indian team during the T20 World Cup, it's highly unlikely for him to warm the bench. Former cricketer Andy Flower opened up on the challenge that the team management might face with Jaiswal’s incoming and lauded India for their incredible bench strength.

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Meanwhile, Flower is slightly inclined towards giving Abhishek more opportunities with the national team. The RCB head coach added that the 23-year-old had a terrific time in the IPL and should be rewarded with more opportunities, which will give him the confidence to do well in the future.

“Well, we have got Jaiswal still coming into the series, haven't we? So that sort of competition is exactly what the Indian selectors and all the Indian followers are looking for. It makes it really interesting and it's great for the Indian game if they have got lots of options like that,” Flower said while reviewing the second match on Sony Sports.

“He should be confident at the moment coming off such a great IPL and then getting a hundred in his second international match. So what a great start. It's really important to get those runs as a young player because confidence and self-belief are so important to your chance of doing well. So I am very happy for him and I am looking forward to seeing more of him in this series,” he added.

Apart from Jaiswal, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube too will join the India squad ahead of the third T20I. Both Sanju and Dube are expected to feature in the playing XI, given they were part of the T20 World Cup squad.