India’s 3-0 sweep of Afghanistan left captain Shubman Gill happier about the problems he now faces than the ones he has solved. With Yashasvi Jaiswal making an unbeaten 103 in Chennai and Rohit Sharma cruising to 79 not out, the queue for top-order places ahead of the 2027 World Cup has grown rather than thinned.
“It’s a good kind of headache having all the players that are performing,” Gill said after sealing the series. “So, we will see the [ODI] squad for England … If everyone is fit, like I said, the squad will be announced and we will see who is in the squad and based on the squad, we will try to make the best XI possible.”
That England trip — five T20Is and three ODIs from 1 July — is the next formal audition. Beside the established pair of Gill and Rohit, the coaching group, led by head coach Rahul Dravid and assistant Ryan ten Doeschate, has spent the week talking up options. Ishan Kishan remains in the conversation, and ten Doeschate noted on the eve of the third ODI that Tamil Nadu left-hander B Sai Sudharsan is also being pencilled in as a future one-day opener.
Jaiswal’s timely reminder
Jaiswal had been on the fringes since his unbeaten 116 against South Africa in Visakhapatnam last December. Pushed aside when the senior players returned, he responded on Saturday with a chanceless century, taking India home in a chase of 219 with 11.3 overs to spare.
“I just focus on my process — what is in my control — and try to work hard as much as I can,” Jaiswal said. “They have been amazing to me and the communication is unreal … I know what’s going on and I’m really enjoying it.”
Gill’s praise, laced with caution, for Brar
If the batting riches are obvious, the bowling cupboard is being stocked too. Left-arm quick Gurnoor Brar, 21, finished his maiden international series as leading wicket-taker, consistently nudging 145 kph and extracting bounce even on a slow Chepauk surface. His figures in the final match, 1 for 49 from eight overs, hinted at rawness as well as promise.
“Yes, he did tick most of the boxes but there are some things that he can only learn from experience,” Gill observed. “If I’m to be really critical, he did go for a little bit of runs … He has got all the good signs that we want from a young, tall fast bowler. And with experience, he is only going to get better.”
Spin understudy impresses
Another quiet plus was left-arm fingerspinner Harsh Dubey. Called in for the second ODI, he bowled with control in Dharamsala and again in Chennai despite conditions that offered little turn. India never needed his batting, but nine first-class half-centuries and three in domestic white-ball cricket suggest an extra string to his bow should the top order stumble.
Numbers behind the smiles
• Jaiswal’s strike rate across his three ODI hundreds now sits at 105.
• Brar’s series return: 7 wickets at 19.14, economy 5.02.
• India’s top three (Gill, Rohit, Jaiswal) combined for 498 runs in the series, averaging 166 apiece.
Selection matrix
The national selectors meet next week to pick squads for England. With only three ODIs on that tour — and a Champions Trophy looming in early 2027 — opportunities are scarce. A likely scenario sees Gill and Rohit opening, Jaiswal shading Kishan for the back-up slot, and Sudharsan travelling as cover across formats. The management, however, has been at pains not to close doors this far out from a World Cup.
Context matters
India’s next ODI assignment after England is not until December in South Africa. By then form, fitness and domestic performance will have shifted again. For now, Gill believes competition can only help.
“Hopefully he is going to keep growing as a bowler,” he said of Brar, then broadened the point. “The same applies to all of us. If you feel someone pushing you for your spot, that’s healthy for the team.”
A neat summary of the week, then: India’s batting looks settled yet crowded, their bowling young yet lively, and their captain content to juggle rather than complain.
