Indian captain Shubman Gill, who sparked injury concerns after being retired hurt in the first ODI against England, will be providing a major boost to Team India in the second ODI against England with his availability. During his game-winning knock of 80 runs, Gill suffered from cramps, which cast doubt on his ability to play in Cardiff and sparked conversations about India’s stand-in skipper. Before leaving due to cramps, Gill had anchored India’s successful chase with a calm 80 off 75 balls, giving the visitors an early lead in the three-match series.
However, sources close to the development have told Times Now that the ODI captain is set to take the field and will be leading the Men in Blue in Cardiff.
Shubman Gill Fit To Play
The Men in Blue would be hopeful that their captain is fit and can build on his momentum by producing another great knock in the second ODI. If the visitors win the Cardiff ODI, they will seal the three-match series 2-0. In addition to bolstering India’s batting, Gill’s position at the top of the order guarantees leadership continuity throughout a crucial stage of the ODI World Cup cycle.
Apart from Gill, senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma would be in the spotlight as well after both of them failed to put on an impressive show in the series opener. However, their experience has certainly boosted the team’s confidence and performance. Both of them would be eager to put on an astonishing performance in the second match.
India easily chased down England’s score of 259 in the 46th over. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar contributed with half-centuries to help the team win, while Captain Gill spearheaded the chase with an unbeaten 80 before retiring hurt. Earlier, Axar had been outstanding with the ball, taking four wickets to restrict the hosts to a low score.
Gill and pacer Gurnoor Brar both had injury concerns during the first game. However, the India captain is well and will play in the second ODI, but Brar’s availability is still unclear. Arshdeep Singh or Prince Yadav might replace him in the starting lineup if he is sidelined.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul(w), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan
England: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook(c), Jos Buttler(w), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Saqib Mahmood, Tom Banton, Gus Atkinson, James Coles, Rehan Ahmed.
