"Your place in the Indian team is like a rented house" - Aakash Chopra says Shubman Gill cannot get a permanent spot based on past performances

Aakash Chopra has highlighted that Shubman Gill cannot rest on his laurels and needs to deliver consistently to retain his place in India's T20I side.

India will face the West Indies in the third T20I of the five-match series in Providence, Guyana, on Tuesday, August 8. The Men in Blue suffered defeats in the first two games, with Gill contributing just 10 runs in his two knocks.

While previewing the third T20I in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Gill needs to score runs. He elaborated:

"Shubman Gill will have to score runs. He played extremely well in the IPL but here it seems like he is just forcing the issue a bit too much. He is trying to play a big shot off every delivery but that's not the Shubman Gill we know. Your place in the Indian team is like a rented house, you haven't bought it."

While acknowledging that the stylish batter's excellent performances across formats might help him get a slightly longer rope, the former Indian opener added that he won't enjoy that luxury permanently. He said:

"If you don't pay the rent for four-five matches, you are asked to vacate the house. Everyone gets that much opportunity only. If someone has paid rent for six months because he has scored a lot of runs, he gets a little leeway. Shubman Gill is in that category but it cannot be permanent."

Gill enjoyed a great run across formats in the first few months of 2023, which included his stupendous performance in this year's edition of the Indian Premier League. However, he has scored just one half-century in his last 10 international innings and has crossed the 20-run mark on only two other occasions.

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"He can be a straight swap for Ishan Kishan" - Aakash Chopra on whether India should play Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal had an outstanding IPL 2023 for the Rajasthan Royals. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra reckons Yashasvi Jaiswal is a tempting option to replace the underperforming Ishan Kishan as Shubman Gill's opening partner. He observed:

"Should Yashasvi (Jaiswal) be played? It is a very tempting option. He can be a straight swap for Ishan Kishan, a left-hander for a left-hander. If you see Ishan Kishan's last 10 to 12 matches, his performances have not been that good."

However, Chopra wants Hardik Pandya and Co. to give Kishan another opportunity at the top of the order. He stated:

"However, I still have a small opinion. I feel if you have played him the first match, play three consecutive at least. Take a call after that. God forbid, if the third match also doesn't go well, make him stand at the back of the queue. Some will say two matches are enough but I feel three should be given."

Kishan has aggregated 33 runs in the first two T20Is and hasn't looked too convincing. However, he scored half-centuries in all three games of the preceding ODI series against the same opponents, which might help him get another chance in the must-win third T20I for the visitors.