Yuvraj Singh names a strong contender as India's opener for 2023 ODI World Cup; leaves out Rahul and Dhawan

In 2022, India has experimented with a wide range of players across multiple formats. This chopping and changing policy by the management has given the team some really good players, who might look like seniors in all three formats. One of the young talents who has grabbed the opportunity with both hands is Shubman Gill.

The 23-year-old opener has done a really good job with whatever opportunities he has had. And as the next 2023 ODI World Cup is to take place in India, he is among the strong contenders to be part of the team.

He recently played in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in the absence of senior players. In 2022, Gill has played 12 games and scored 638 runs at a brilliant average of 70.88, with one century and four half-centuries.

He also scored a fifty in the first ODI against New Zealand and followed it up with an unbeaten 45-run knock in the second ODI before it was called off due to rain. The 23-year-old has done a decent job with veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan at the top.

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes Gill has established himself as a contender for a spot in the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, there are still 10 months until the start of the marquee event in India. In an interview with PTI, Yuvraj said that Gill is on the right path and will be an asset for India in the coming 10 years.

He said, "I believe Gill is a strong contender to open for India in the 2023 World Cup. Shubman is very hardworking and is doing all the right things. I believe he is destined for greatness in the next 10 years."

Yuvraj, who retired from all forms of the game in 2019, has coached Gill. In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, Gill was part of a training event under Yuvraj Singh, along with another Punjab-born uncapped star, Abhisehk Sharma.

India is currently on tour in Bangladesh for three ODIs and two tests. Gill is not part of the ongoing ODI series, but he is in the test squad for India. The first test will be played on December 14 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram.