Shubman Gill has received the endorsement of former India captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly for the WTC Final over KL Rahul. Despite Rahul's previous success as India's go-to opener in overseas conditions, Ganguly believes that Gill's exceptional form in all three formats over the past six months warrants his selection over Rahul. According to Ganguly, Gill is now India's permanent opener across all three formats, posing a difficult decision for captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid regarding the opener's position.
The moment Shubman Gill scored his 2nd century!
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 11, 2023
The generational talent. pic.twitter.com/ckh5zLz2TK
“Shubman has been phenomenal in the last 6-7 months. What else does he need to do? He is now a permanent member of the team,” Sourav Ganguly told RevSportz in Kolkata during Delhi Capitals’ pre-IPL 2023 camp.
“Firstly, let me congratulate India for beating Australia. There is no reason why India can’t beat Australia in England when they have done so in Australia and India already. Batting will be India’s key in England. If you score 350-400, you will win,” Sourav Ganguly added.
Both World No 1 Australia and World No 2 India have secured their spots in the WTC Final. Sharma has already announced that Indian bowlers will train with Dukes ball during the IPL. Teams that are eliminated early will travel to England for a camp led by Rahul Dravid. Dravid and his team are expected to leave for the London camp on May 22. Players who participate in the IPL playoffs and final will join the squad later.
India earned their place in the WTC Final against Australia after New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka in the first test by two wickets. Although India needed a 3-1 victory over Australia, New Zealand's win was sufficient to secure their place in the final. Following the 2023 IPL, India will travel to London to face off against Australia in the one-off WTC Final Test at Oval on June 7.