New Zealand vs India: Sunil Gavaskar wants visitors to give Shubman Gill a chance in last two ODIs

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar feels India should give Shubman Gill an opportunity in the playing eleven in the remaining two ODIs against New Zealand. The Men in Blue have already sealed the five-match series in New Zealand after winning the third ODI by seven wickets to go three-nil up. With the series already in the bag, India now have a golden opportunity to try out some new names and Gill perhaps tops this list.

The youngster has been hogging the limelight for the right reasons in the last year or so. He has not looked back since starring for India in their victorious ICC Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand last year. The World Cup campaign was followed by an impressive show for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League where he showed he is ready to deliver at the big stage. It was followed by some stunning outings for India A which further enhanced his reputations.

Gill earned the call-up on the back of a stunning display in the ongoing season of the Ranji Trophy. While Punjab failed to progress ahead of the group stage, Gill made his presence felt with a sizzling campaign.  In just 5 games, he scored 729 runs at an average of over 104 before earning his maiden India call-up. And with Virat Kohli rested for the remainder of the New Zealand tour and the series already in India’s hand, Gavaskar feels the time is right to test Gill.

The legendary batsman also feels that Gill should be tried out at number three in Kohli’s absence. “Well because the No.3 spot is vacant, I would want to give Shubman Gill a game, give him a couple of games and see how he fares. If he gets to bat, you will get a fair idea how he is taking to international cricket,” Gavaskar told India Today.

High praise from skipper

Gill, meanwhile, also received some high praise from Kohli after the third ODI. The India skipper lavished praise on the youngster and said that the 19-year old epitomises the new breed of Indian cricketers. Kohli also hinted that Gill might make his debut in the fourth ODI.

“I think there are some outstanding talents. We saw Prithvi Shaw grab the opportunity with both hands. Shubman is a very exciting talent and I saw him bat in the nets and I was like wow I was not even 10 per cent of that when I was 19,” Kohli said.

“So, that’s the confidence that they carry and it’s great for Indian cricket, the standard keeps going up and the guys coming in can make those impact performances straightaway. And, we are more than happy to give them chances and provide them the space to grow.”

Meanwhile, with form and momentum on their side, India will be looking to continue their winning run when they take on New Zealand in the fourth game on Thursday.

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