IPL 2024: Shubman Gill has to be in contention for T20 World Cup selection – Eoin Morgan on opening competition with Yashasvi Jaiswal

Former England captain Eoin Morgan believes Shubman Gill has to be in contention for the T20 World Cup selection. Gill has been leading Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024 and he has scored 263 runs in seven matches.

The right-hander is the leading run-getter for GT and has scored his runs at an average of 43.83 and a strike rate of 151.14. Gill was the leading run-getter in IPL 2023 with 890 runs in 17 matches and played a key role in taking GT to the final of the tournament.

Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has revealed that Rohit Sharma is going to lead in the T20 World Cup. With Rohit set to lead and Virat Kohli expected to bat at one down, the competition for the remaining opening spot is between Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Jaiswal was in prime form in the five-match Test series against England as he amassed 712 runs at an average of 89. But the left-hander hasn’t been able to carry his form in the ongoing IPL 2024 as he has managed only 121 runs in seven games at an average of 17.29 and a strike rate of 145.78.

“Shubman Gill’s a magnificent player and highly regarded, not just here, but around the world, for me has to be a contender to be on the plane, let alone get in that strongest XI and when it comes to contending for batting positions, in that six or seven batters that they might take given the all around us that they have, it does come up to probably him or Yashasvi Jaiswal. And not a case of him against Virat Kohli. For me, Virat Kohli is there already,” Eoin Morgan said on Jio Cinema on Wednesday, 17 April.

Morgan showered praise on Shubman Gill for leading Gujarat Titans from the front in the 17th edition of the IPL.

“So I mean, he’s doing everything he can. He’s managing his own game. He’s recognizing the responsibilities as captain and also the fact that they’re two separate entities. I think that will help him learn more as a captain, moving forward, and also aid his game as well. So for me, he’s in contention with Yashasvi,” Morgan said.

On the other hand, former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan shared similar thoughts on Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“Well, selectors are definitely gonna have some good headaches there, because when you’re looking at the top order of of any team, there is a lot of traffic jam there. You know which direction selectors are going to go and we have to wait and see. But if you ask me, Shubman has to be there, and it will be between Yashasvi and Shubman for sure. Maybe they will stick to Virat being at at number three. They’ve already announced Rohit as captain. So you you know that there is only one spot up for grabs,” Zaheer Khan said while speaking on the same panel.

India’s T20 World Cup selection is expected to be done in the last week of April.