Shubman Gill dismisses 'toxic competition' among young Indian openers
What's the story
India's ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill has dismissed the idea of "toxic competition" among the country's leading and young openers in limited-overs cricket.
He said he was happy with Abhishek Sharma's recent T20I success and that players are inspired by each other's achievements.
Gill's statement came during a press conference in Nagpur on Tuesday, ahead of India's 1st ODI against England.
Comeback
Gill back in action for ODIs
Gill is returning to the national side after missing the T20I leg against England. He has plunged in the pecking order in T20Is.
The Indian batter recently featured in the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy for Punjab, after his stint in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
His performance included a gritty second-innings ton against Karnataka in Bengaluru.
However, he hasn't played T20I cricket since July 2024 when India toured Sri Lanka.
Information
Influx of Indian openers across formats
India's squad for the ODI series and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy also includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, who now opens for India in Test cricket. Meanwhile, Abhishek and Sanju Samson are India's mainstay openers in T20I cricket. This has restricted Gill's opening role to only ODIs.
Leadership
Gill named India's ODI vice-captain
Gill was recently named India's ODI vice-captain for the England series and Champions Trophy. He is set to open alongside skipper Rohit Sharma.
He sees this added responsibility as a challenge. "Definitely, on the field, if Rohit bhai needs my opinions, I definitely feel it's my duty to share my thoughts and what I think about game situations," Gill said.
Series outlook
Gill averages over 58 in ODIs
Gill clarified that India do not see the impending ODI series against England as a lead-up for the Champions Trophy.
He stressed that the side's focus will be only on winning each match.
Gill will enter the series on the back of 2,328 runs scored from 57 ODIs. His average of 58.20 is the highest among players with 33-plus ODI appearances.
Gill also has an impressive strike-rate of 101.74 in the format.