India’s captain Shubman Gill is fit to play in the first ODI against the West Indies at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday. This confirmation comes from batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who reassured fans after Gill suffered a blow to his right elbow during practice on Friday. The injury, caused by a delivery from fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, required nearly 20 minutes of on-field treatment. However, Gill returned to the nets to continue his preparations, indicating he has recovered well. “I think he is fine and good to go,” Kotak stated during a pre-match press conference. Additionally, Kotak discussed the ongoing selection challenges for the Indian team, particularly regarding talented opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has struggled to secure a spot despite impressive performance statistics across formats.
“He is a part of the team and as support staff, obviously, we look after his skills, his practice and his mindset and Gautam also talks to him a lot. But sometimes, you see, say if there are three very good wicketkeepers, only one will play. So, it is not that it has been unfair to him. I just think it is part of the game. “He should keep working hard and waiting for his opportunities. So far, whenever the team needed him and he got an opportunity, he has performed. So, I mean, I don’t know what exactly you want to ask me. But I think we do look after his skills, his practice. We follow where he is, how he is doing and when he is with the team. That’s all we can do and that’s what we do,” added Kotak. Kotak also weighed in on veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja ‘s role in the white-ball setup, as he returns to the ODI team with Axar Patel currently part of India’s Asian Games-bound T20I squad. “I think he is obviously in the mix. In the South Africa series, Jadeja played when Axar was rested. Then after that, obviously, I am not part of the selection panel. So, I don’t know what their thinking is. “Jadeja is an outstanding all-rounder. We all know, you see his records. How the team will set up and what kind of combination the selectors, captain and head coach will go with is the second thing. There is a time for that, but Jadeja, to me, is still one of the best fielders in the world. “He bowls, bats and the experience he has… I actually firmly believe that experience is something you cannot beat. So, like we see Rohit, Virat and Jadeja, they all bring a lot of that to the team. So, Jadeja is also one of them and he is obviously a very useful member of the team,” concluded Kotak.
I just think whoever is coming and playing for India is obviously part of those 20-25 players who possibly can be in the team.
