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R Ashwin drops 2027 WC bombshell: Kohli asked to open with Rohit, no place for Shubman Gill

Anurag Dasgupta

Gaikwad to replace Gill in ODIs? [sourc: AFP Photo] Gaikwad to replace Gill in ODIs? [sourc: AFP Photo]

The second ODI between India and South Africa saw Virat Kohli smash his 84th international century, and it also witnessed CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, hammering his maiden ODI ton. The Maharashtra batter came into the match under immense pressure, and with no Shreyas Iyer in the team due to an injury, Ruturaj was asked to bat at number 4.

The batter responded with a majestic century and cemented his place in the team as he garnered praise from all corners. Interestingly, Gaikwad has given a really good headache to the Indian team in terms of selection. In the ongoing ODI series, there is no Shubman Gill due to a neck sprain, and hence, Gaikwad got a chance in the XI. However, with Gill a sure-shot in the playing XI from next series onwards, where does Gaikwad fit in?

R Ashwin settles Gaikwad's place in ODI team; drops Gill

Speaking on the same debate, R Ashwin, the former India spinner, dropped a huge bombshell on his YouTube channel as he indirectly urged the selectors to consider Ruturaj for the number 3 spot in ODIs, and also reckons that Kohli could open alongside Rohit, indirectly stating that Gill should be the one who gets sacrificed from the 2027 World Cup plans.

"Ruturaj Gaikwad is a fine player of pace bowling. He only has one issue, and that is with the moving ball, and there is a chance that you could get him out with swing bowling. However, he is a different player if the new ball threat is taken away," Ashwin said to journalist Vimal Kumar.


The 2027 World Cup will take place in South Africa, and if Shreyas Iyer comes back, then Virat could be pushed to the top-order alongside Rohit as Virat has the experience of opening in T20s, and in such a scenario, both Gaikwad and Iyer can play in top four."

Is Ashwin's ODI team argument valid?

Not sure if it was deliberate, but Ashwin missed out on naming Shubman Gill in the World Cup squad. His argument is that Rohit and Kohli have prior experience of working as openers together and the duo complement each other well. Moreover, if Kohli is pushed to the top, Gaikwad could be slotted in at 3.

However, Gill has been India’s best ODI batter in this decade, and has amassed 2802 runs, at an average of 58.38, including 8 centuries. Hence, the thought of dropping one of the finest batters of this generation shouldn’t come to anyone’s mind.