With Shubman Gill ruled out of the second Test against South Africa, the Indian team faces a major selection decision: who replaces the captain, and equally important, will the replacement be another left-hander?
Addressing the media before the match, stand-in captain Rishabh Pant confirmed that India have already discussed the left-hander imbalance in their batting order. Pant said:
“We have taken that into consideration, because we have a lot of left-handers in the batting lineup… mostly, we have taken it because the person who is gonna play, he already knows he is gonna play. We just want to keep it down.”
His comments make the situation clear: India do not want six left-handers in their top 8. With KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel being the only right-handers currently locked in, the selectors are almost certain to include one more right-hander in the XI.
Nitish Reddy Likely to Make the XI
In the available squad, India have three batting options:
Sai Sudharsan (left-hander) Devdutt Padikkal (left-hander) Nitish Reddy (right-hander)
Because Nitish Reddy is the only right-hander among the three, he is the most likely pick for the 2nd Test. His inclusion also improves balance in a middle order currently dominated by left-handed batters.
If India decide to play an additional all-rounder, Axar Patel may be the one to miss out, freeing space for Reddy’s entry.
Sai Sudharsan Set to Replace Gill as Specialist Batter
For Shubman Gill’s direct replacement, Sai Sudharsan is expected to step in. Sudharsan, however, will need a strong performance to secure his long-term spot, with competition heating up ahead of future tours.
Who Bats at No. 4?
India are expected to continue with Dhruv Jurel at No. 4, just as they did at Eden Gardens.
With India aiming to level the series, the batting order changes, and especially the right-left combination puzzle, will be crucial in shaping their approach.
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