India vs England: 3 players who can replace the injured Shubman Gill

Recent reports suggest Shubman Gill will effectively be out for the first few Tests against England following a "serious internal injury." A Cricbuzz report said news from England was that the 21-year-old rising star is believed to be carrying an injury that will keep him out of immediate action.

The exact nature of his injury is not known, with versions varying from calf, shin injury to hamstring damage. However, the injuries are set to see him sit out for a long period of time.

While the Punjab batsman will be racing against time and hoping to recover, India's 30-member squad has enough in their arsenal to replace the opener. Ahead of the series set to start on August 4, we take a look at some of his potential replacements.

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#1 Mayank Agarwal: India's first-choice as Shubman Gill's replacement

Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal were the opening options to partner Rohit Sharma at the top. The Karnataka batsman, after his good run in the IPL, comes in as India's first-choice opener to replace Gill.

He was also fourth on the list of Indian batters to score the most runs in the WTC league phase. He stacked up 857 runs from 12 matches at an average of 42.85. His game awareness and his ability to drop anchor or be an aggressor has been one of his main strengths.

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#2 KL Rahul: A chance for a Test comeback

News of Gill's injury brings KL Rahul back into the equation. The Karnataka batsman last donned his whites in 2019 against the West Indies when India blanked the hosts 2-0.

However, Rahul was part of the 30-member contingent that traveled to England although he missed out on the 15-member squad against New Zealand in the WTC final.

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#3 Hanuma Vihari as the other Shubman Gill replacement

Like Rahul and Agarwal, Vihari was one of the batsmen who cooled his heels in the dugout in the WTC final. His contribution to the side has been immense, especially with his battling knock with Ravichandran Ashwin against Australia earlier this year.

Vihari has the game and the temperament to face the new cherry and India might just go with him in one of the Tests replacing Shubman Gill.