In the ongoing IPL 2023, the opening batsmen Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have displayed outstanding form, catching the attention of former India cricketer Robin Uthappa, who earmarked them as the next big talents in Indian cricket.
Gill and Jaiswal are separated by a single run on the list of leading run-scorers, with Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis leading the chart. Both Gill and Jaiswal have registered a century and four fifties each. Jaiswal, in particular, has excelled in terms of boundaries hit and strike rate.
"I definitely see potential in him (Gill) being as big as someone like Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar. I certainly think he's got the stuff; he's a phenomenal player who is in exceptional form and is playing some great cricket at the moment. I certainly feel and believe personally that Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the two next big things of Indian cricket," said Uthappa during a virtual media interaction as an IPL expert for JioCinema.
With the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup still over a year away, Gill and Jaiswal are making strong cases to be India's opening pair, particularly with Rohit Sharma experiencing a dip in form during IPL 2023. In the tournament, Rohit has scored 257 runs in 13 innings at an average of 19.77 and a strike rate of 131.12, with only one fifty to his name.
While acknowledging that Rohit doesn't necessarily need a break, Uthappa, who has won IPL trophies with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, suggests that the right-handed batter should revert to his previously successful approach rather than going all-out from the start.
"I don't think there's much wrong with his form, to be honest. When he's batting at the crease and playing, he's playing like the Rohit Sharma we all love. The approach or template, that he calls it himself and chose it, is not necessarily working for him. Although it is the template he's chosen as captain of the Indian team, the uber-aggressive way of playing, I don't think it works for Rohit Sharma the batter."
"He's been more successful with the tried-and-tested formula - starting sedately and capitalizing or making up for the initial time at the back-end. If he comes back to that form of batting, we will see him performing like we know how Rohit Sharma performs."
Uthappa believes that major changes in the composition of the Indian team may occur after this year's ODI World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by India in October-November.
"From my experience of Indian cricket, they will continue to go with experienced players because making wholesale changes this close to an ICC tournament (ODI World Cup) will not be wise. Form is always temporary, and having said that, post the World Cup, we may see a lot of wholesale changes moving forward. But before that, we won't see a lot of changes."
Uthappa also highlighted the concerns regarding injuries and the importance of having a fit team for the World Cup. Players like Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant are currently dealing with injuries, and their fitness will play a crucial role in India's chances of winning the tournament, especially on home soil.