Cricket World Cup 2023: Yashasvi Jaiswal-Ruturaj Gaikwad in race to replace Shubman Gill in India squad - Reports

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: India batter Shubman Gill may have been discharged from the hospital after his platelet count dropped due to dengue but the 24-year-old is certainly going to be out of action for some time.

Gill - who is already going to miss tomorrow's league match against Afghanistan in Delhi - is not going to be fit and available for selection for the match against Pakistan on October 14 in Ahmedabad.

The absence of the in-form opening batter for the next is going to be a concern for the team management who will now be forced to include Gill's replacement in the squad. Two players are looking as front runners to cover for the Punjab batter for the time being, till he achieves his fitness.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who led the Indian men's cricket team to clinch the historic gold medal at the just-concluded Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, or Yashasvi Jaiswal - who slammed a ton against Nepal in the Asiad - will reportedly be called in as Gill's replacement in the Indian squad.

Ishan Kishan opened the batting for India in the tournament opener against Australia in Chennai but failed to leave a mark in the high-pressure contest at MA Chidambaram Stadium. The left-handed batter has been blowing hot and cold with the bat in the 50-over format. Hence, the team management would be looking for a more reliable batter for the job.

Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ruturaj Gaikwad: Who is ahead?

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad have had a great domestic season and have been more consistent with the bat for their IPL franchises. They are equally good batters against fast and spin bowling.

However, Jaiswal might pip Gaikwad in the race because he has been going through a purple patch across all formats. The exceedingly talented left-handed batter from Mumbai is yet to make his ODI debut but his figures in the T20Is and Test crickets are phenomenal.

The 21-year-old rising cricketer slammed a ton on his Test debut in the Caribbean in July this year and later in the Asian Games, he made a mincemeat of Nepali bowlers en route to his blistering knock of 48-ball 100. Jaiswal can be the perfect foil for captain Rohit Sharma as he can go after the bowlers from the word go.

The Mumbaikar, who averages 53.9 in List A cricket, likes to go ballistic in the powerplay and can provide a blistering start to the side without getting intimidated by the person who's bowling. India captain Rohit Sharma likes the concept of a left-hand-right-hand batting combination at the start of the innings and Jaiswal just fits the bill.

Former India cricketer and former chairman of selectors Dilip Vengasarkar - who was part of the World Cup-winning 1983 Indian side - also believes Jaiswal and Gaikwad are the most suited candidates to replace Gill. He also feels that Jaiswal might just have a slight edge over Gaikwad.