‘Worst possible time to miss matches" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Shubman Gill’s unavailability

The Indian team got off to a magnificent start to their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign as they took on arch-rivals Australia and came away with a resounding win after sensational performances by both Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in a tricky match in Chennai.

Notably, the Indian team got the magnificent victory despite ace opener Shubman Gill being included in the lineup. The 24-year-old had fallen to dengue fever before the clash against Australia and will not play India’s upcoming game against Afghanistan either.

Speaking of the same, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that it is quite disappointing for Gill that he is missing out on the early stages of the ODI World Cup 2023. He opined that is harmful for him personally, as the Indian team can continue to be strong without his inclusion.

"Disappointing for him personally more than the team because the team has enough options to continue to be strong, and we saw that in the first game as well. The team is strong and good enough to beat all the oppositions despite Shubman Gill not being there,” Manjrekar said in a discussion on Star Sports. 

Also Check: List of Shubman Gill international & IPL centuries

"Having said that, Shubman Gill just makes the team even more stronger and the kind of form that he has been in, you want to cash in. This is the worst possible time that you want to miss matches and it's been beyond his control,” he added.

Furthermore, Manjrekar opined that the spectators will definitely miss watching Gil as he is an extremely fun watch. "What I will say though is that the fans, people who come to the ground and the people who watch on TV, will miss him because this guy is extremely watchable. He gets runs beautifully, so it's fun to watch. So that aspect will be lost but I don't see India in trouble too much,” he said.