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Abhishek Sharma’s brutal hitting against England must have definitely warmed the heart of Indian coach Gautam Gambhir. Given his aggressive approach and ability to take on top-quality fast bowlers, fast-tracking him into the ODI setup seems like a real possibility. With Rohit Sharma likely to step away from ODIs after the Champions Trophy, the selectors will be looking for long-term opening partners.
With the likes of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the mix, Abhishek could be the third option for the team. If he has a strong IPL and continues performing in T20Is, his ODI call-up could happen soon.
Gambhir has already made it clear that Rohit won’t be in the ODI setup post-Champions Trophy. If so, then it makes sense to bring in Abhishek gradually rather than rushing him in. A phased transition would allow him to adapt to the format without too much pressure.
Unlike T20s, ODIs require a balance between aggression and stability, and Abhishek might need to fine-tune his approach for a longer innings. The best way to do that would be to give him exposure in a few bilateral series before making him a permanent fixture in the XI.
Earlier, CricBlogger had reported that Rohit had agreed to step down from international cricket and based on that he was allowed to lead the team in the Champions Trophy. Sources also said that Gambhir wanted Hardik Pandya to lead the side in the ICC event but the selectors had the better of him.
With Gambhir already having discussed the end of Rohit’s tenure with the BCCI and selectors, it remains to be seen how the team management pushes Abhishek into the ODI team or perhaps a Test slot for the England series, who knows?
