‘No toxic competition between us’: Shubman Gill on his friendship with Abhishek, Jaiswal

by Tejas Rathi
Shubman Gill

Indian ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill opened up on his friendship with Abhishek Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Gill’s comments came in a press conference ahead of the three-match ODI series against England.

With Abhishek Sharma slamming a sensational hundred in the final T20I against England in Mumbai, he has solidifed his place as a permanent opener in the shortest format. However, another opener, Jaiswal, was once in the scheme of things for the shortest format, and was part of the 2024 T20 World Cup squad as well. Although, Gill hasn’t been in picture in the T20I squad, he will face stiff competition from the duo in the near future.

Jaiswal also received his maiden call-up to the 50-over squad for the England series and the Champions Trophy, due to his impressive performances in the other two formats. This came despite the presence of Shubman Gill and captain Rohit Sharma, which puts fans and cricket fraternity into doubt at Jaiswal’s batting position, if provided a chance.

Interestingly, Gill and Abhishek made their List-A debuts for Punjab in 2017 together, and since then have shared a close bond. On being asked about competition against the duo, Gill stated:

“Abhishek is a childhood friend of mine. Jaiswal is also a friend. I don’t think there is any toxic competition between us. Obviously, if you are playing for the country, you want to perform in every match, and you don’t think, ‘I wish this guy didn’t perform,'” Gill told the press on Tuesday.

“You are playing for the country and for the team, and whoever performs, you feel good for them, you congratulate them,” Gill added.

Shubman Gill on why Karun Nair didn’t fit into ODI side

Shubman Gill on Karun Nair

Shubman Gill also answered a question about whether Karun Nair’s inclusion was taken into consideration for the England ODIs and Champions Trophy. Notably, Nair slammed 779 runs in eight innings at an average of 389.50 and helped Vidarbha emerge as a runner-up.

At one point during the tournament, the right-hander had an average of 752, which sparked rumors about him being in line for getting recalled to the Indian side. Notably, he has played six Tests and two ODIs for India in the past, while also scoring a triple hundred against England in the longest format.

However, Nair wasn’t selected in the squad due to much competition among the current pool of players. Here’s what Shubman Gill said on Vidarbha batter not getting selected in the ODI squad:

“Karun had a great Vijay Hazare Trophy, but that doesn’t mean the current players should be dropped. They have also performed well to reach this stage.”

“We have lost only one game in the World Cups. The players in the squad have contributed significantly, and while it’s unfortunate for those excelling in domestic cricket who weren’t picked, constant chopping and changing will affect players’ confidence. Without continuity, we can never build a strong team,” Gill added.

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