The Indian team is currently enjoying a well-deserved break from their busy international schedule. Their last game was on August 7, and their next challenge is the Test series at home against Bangladesh starting on September 19. The next big event for them is the Champions Trophy, which will be held in the ODI format in February-March 2025.
Pakistan is hosting the tournament, but India hasn't confirmed if they will be participating yet. Rohit Sharma and his team don't have much time to prepare, as they only have three ODIs scheduled before the eight-team competition. India will be facing England in a three-match ODI series in January next year before heading to the Champions Trophy.
Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik believes that India will stick with their current opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, with not much time left before the next match. However, he thinks that Yashasvi Jaiswal could be a good option as a backup opener for the team. Jaiswal has been performing well in Tests and T20Is, but he hasn't had a chance to show his skills in the 50-over format yet.
Karthik suggests that if Gill doesn't live up to expectations, Jaiswal might get the opportunity to step in.
"Rohit and Shubman are a very good combination. Yes, Jaiswal has a great opportunity to be the backup opener and will get his opportunity soon if Shubman doesn’t go as well as expected. And India has a very solid middle order as well," Karthik said while speaking to Cricbuzz.
Recently, Ishan Kishan was leading the pack with his double-century against Bangladesh. However, he slipped down the rankings because he didn't play domestic cricket last season and lost his central contract. Meanwhile, Jaiswal has become the top choice in other formats. It's unclear if he will be chosen over Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad as the backup opener for India's squad in the Champions Trophy.
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