Gill was finally given an opportunity after being overlooked for the West Indies tour
Right-handed batsman Shubman Gill had his first Test call-up on September 12. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named the team’s Test squad for the home series against South Africa. KL Rahul is replaced by Gill due to his poor scores during the West Indies tour.
Chief selector MSK Prasad spoke about Gill’s selection in the Test squad. 'He has done well both as an opener and in the middle order, so he can be a back-up for both the slots’, Prasad said.
'That's the reason when KL [Rahul] was dropped out, we had given him the opportunity, but as he keeps playing he'll get more opportunities because he's a player for all three formats’.
Gill scored 1443 runs at an average of 72.15 with the highest score of 268. He was the top-scorer for Punjab during the Ranji Trophy 2018-19. The young batsman scored 728 runs at an average of 104 in five matches.
Ahead of the West Indies tour, Gill expressed his disappointment for being overlooked in the squads. The board has finally given him an opportunity after seeing his brilliant performance in the sport. Gill was the youngest Indian cricketer to score a first-class double century against the West Indies A, with an unbeaten score of 204 off 250 deliveries.
The South Africa Cricket Team’s tour of India will begin on September 15 with its first T20I match at Dharamshala. Shubman Gill also plays for Kolkata Knight Riders. It is a participating team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Find out more about IPL at Betwala.
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