NEW DELHI: Veteran Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla believes Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad are the players who can take over from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma when the two India greats retire from international cricket. Chawla shared his thoughts on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast, calling both young batters "special players."
Kohli and Rohit recently retired from T20Is after India's 2024 T20 World Cup win but are still available for Tests and ODIs. Rohit is 37, and Kohli will be 36 in November, indicating the end of their careers is near.
Chawla pointed to Gill’s strong technique as a key strength. "Shubman Gill—because of his technique. Whenever one goes through poor form, a batter who is technically strong can come out of it. Any batter who has a good technique cannot stay out of form for too long. So, Shubman Gill for sure and Ruturaj Gaikwad," Chawla said.
Gill, 25, has become a key player for India, with 25 Tests, 47 ODIs, and 21 T20Is under his belt. He has scored 1,492 runs in Tests, 2,338 in ODIs, and 578 in T20Is, including four Test centuries, six ODI centuries (one double century), and one T20I century.
Gaikwad, 27, has faced injuries and selection issues but still received praise from Chawla. "It [getting dropped or injured] is part and parcel of the game. It will keep happening. But, whenever he has got the opportunity, he has looked different. For me, these two players (Gill and Gaikwad) are special," Chawla added.
Gaikwad has played six ODIs and 23 T20Is, scoring 115 and 633 runs, respectively, with one T20I century.
With Kohli and Rohit nearing retirement, Gill and Gaikwad provide hope for the future of Indian cricket.
