Former England captain Eoin Morgan made a bold statement about the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean Islands and the USA in June. Eoin Morgan stated that he would pick his former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) teammate Shubman Gill over Yashasvi Jaiswal in the World Cup squad.
Shubman Gill failed to make the 15-member squad for the World Cup despite being a regular member of Team India over the past few months. Yashasvi Jaiswal was preferred over Gill as an opener for the Indian team. However, the Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper has been named among the reserve players for the ICC event.
Shubman couldn’t guide the Titans to the playoffs in his debut season as IPL captain. He scored 426 runs in 12 matches at an average of 38.73 and a strike rate of 147.40, featuring two fifties and one century. The right-handed batter is the second-highest run-getter for the Titans in the recently concluded IPL season.
Would Have Shubman Gill Over Yashasvi Jaiswal – Eoin Morgan
During a podcast on Sky Sports with Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, Eoin Morgan stated that Shubman Gill would have been a better choice over Yashasvi Jaiswal for the World Cup. Morgan described Gill as a future leader, considering his experience playing alongside Gill for the Knight Riders.
“The only decision I would have had differently and if I was selecting the squad, I would have Shubman Gill over Yashasvi Jaiswal. I have played alongside him, I know how he thinks. I know how he works,” Morgan said.
“I feel he’s a future leader within that side and I think in big moments, in World Cups the more leaders the better. Even if he’s sitting on the sideline, you still need inspiration from here and there, a sense of positivity,” he added.
Yashasvi Jaiswal amassed 435 runs in 15 innings at an average of 31.07 and a strike rate of 155.91, including one century and a half-century. However, the Rajasthan Royals suffered a defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Qualifier 2 match. The Sanju Samson-led team failed to reach the final match of the season.
The Strongest Side Even With Injuries – Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan selected India as the “favorites” to win the T20 World Cup, expressing confidence that India’s quality players could potentially outplay any opponent in the tournament.
“The strongest side even with injuries throughout the tournament is India. Their strength and depth is absolutely incredible. And it’s almost probably, we’re talking about who the players that were missed out in their squad of 15 because of the quality that they possess,” Morgan stated.
“They are favourites for me, the quality they have on paper, if they produce it I think they can beat anybody quite well in the tournament,” he added.
India last won the ICC Trophy in 2013 under the leadership of MS Dhoni. Since then, the Men in Blue have reached the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023, and the semifinals in 2015 and 2019. In T20 World Cups, they reached the final in 2014 and the semifinals in 2016 and 2022.
Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: Ricky Ponting reveals what Rishabh Pant will do in the tournament
