Shubman Gill will have to wait for his turn: MSK Prasad

Shubman Gill has been hitting right chords ever since he performed tremendously in the U-19 team in the Youth World Cup in New Zealand in 2018. He was the highest run-getter for the side in the tournament that India U-19 side won and Gill came into the limelight along with Prithvi Shaw and fast bowlers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi.

This also led to him being picked by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL season 2018 and he sparkled in his role as the finisher. In the 2019 season, he got to bat at the top of the order and produced more runs. The 19-year-old was touted to be picked for the upcoming West Indies tour, given that he has been playing in the Caribbean for India A side.

However, disappointment was the order of the day, as Gill was not picked in either of the squads and the likes of Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Rahul Chahar, and others were rewarded for their performances. Navdeep Saini and Khaleel Ahmed were slotted in the team as pacers in the limited-overs series, as Bumrah and Shami were rested. This meant that the Punjab lad was pushed down the pecking order.

MSK Prasad reveals when Gill will get his chance in the Indian team

“He was given an opportunity when KL Rahul was out against New Zealand, he will have to wait for his turn,” MSK Prasad was quoted as saying by India today. The no.4 spot in the Indian ODI squad is still open and it seemed like there was a competition between Gill and Shreyas Iyer for that spot. Both have done exceedingly well in the ongoing One-Day series in the West Indies.

Along with this, a senior BCCI official also mentioned that Sanjay Bangar, the batting/assistant coach was on the radar for not being able to produce a batsman to fill the No.4 spot in the playing XI, not only for the World Cup 2019 but for the last 1-2 years as well. For Bangar to not be able to find a solution is something that reflects poorly on the coach.

“It was a constant struggle. While we are all supportive of the players and they had a good tournament with the exception of this bad day in office (in the semi-final against New Zealand), the support staff’s processes and decision-making will surely be scrutinized thoroughly prior to any decision being taken about their future. The batting coach must have answers for the No. 4 question since it is obvious that it was the team management that was asking for certain players to be included,” the official was quoted as saying by India Today.

Tour to the Windies will be an opportunity for many youngsters to groom for the next World Cup tournaments.