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ICC Men’s ODI World Cup: Shubham Gill Suffering from Dengue, Doubtful for India’s Opener against Australia

India’s star opener Shubham Gill is in danger of missing the team’s first match of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 against Australia on Sunday, October 8, as he has tested positive for dengue. The 24-year-old batsman, who has been in scintillating form this year, is undergoing treatment in Chennai and his availability will depend on his recovery and fitness.

Shubham Gill is 2nd in ICC ODI batting rankings

Gill, who plays for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, has scored 1230 runs in 20 ODIs in 2023 at an average of 61.50 and a strike rate of 97.63. He is currently ranked second in the ICC ODI batting rankings, behind only his captain Rohit Sharma. He has also scored four centuries and six half-centuries this year, including a brilliant 104 against Australia in the last ODI he played on September 24 in Indore.

However, his participation in the World Cup opener is now uncertain as he has contracted dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection that causes high fever, headache, joint pain, and rash. According to reports. Gill missed the team’s practice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, where the match will be played. He is being monitored by the team management and a final call on his availability will be taken after another round of tests on Friday.

If Gill is ruled out of the match, India will have to choose between Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul as his replacement. Both are capable of opening the innings and have done so in the past. Kishan, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has scored 421 runs in 13 ODIs in 2023 at an average of 35.08 and a strike rate of 104.47. He has also scored one century and two half-centuries this year, including a match-winning 87 against Sri Lanka in Colombo on July 18.

Rahul, who plays for Punjab Kings in the IPL, has scored 507 runs in 15 ODIs in 2023 at an average of 36.21 and a strike rate of 86.67. He has also scored one century and two half-centuries this year, including a superb 108 against England in Pune on March 26. Rahul is also India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman in the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant.

The decision to pick either Kishan or Rahul will also have an impact on India’s middle-order composition. If Kishan opens, then Rahul will bat at No.5 and keep wickets. If Rahul opens, then either Surya kumar Yadav or Kishan will bat at No.5 and Rahul will keep wickets.

India will hope that Gill recovers soon and is fit to play against Australia, as he is one of their key players and has a good record against them. In six ODIs against Australia, Gill has scored 328 runs at an average of 54.66 and a strike rate of 95.90. He has also scored two centuries and one half-century against them.

The match between India and Australia is expected to be a high-octane clash between two of the strongest teams in the tournament. Both teams have won the World Cup five times each and have some of the best players in world cricket. The match will start at 2:00 PM IST on Sunday and will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network and streamed online on Hotstar.