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Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, the two Gujarat Titans openers, have been backed to open for India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2028. Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu has backed them, tracking their excellent stats as openers in the last few seasons of the IPL.
Gujarat Titans made their way into the final of the IPL 2026 edition after being knocked out of the eliminator of the last season of the IPL. This was their third entry into the final of an IPL season, and all credit goes to their opening pair.
Gujarat Titans openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan stitched an 11th-century partnership as openers in the history of the IPL. They have amassed nearly 950 runs in this season of the IPL in partnerships, while the two batters have individually added 700+ runs, respectively.
Former IPL winner Ambati Rayudu predicted that Gill-Sudharsan might be opening the innings for the Indians when they play the next T20 World Cup for India in 2028. It will be held in Australia and New Zealand, and he identified that the conditions are very similar to the wickets these two batters have performed on.
“I think we are witnessing a pair that might travel to Australia and tackle the conditions there. The wicket was very similar in pace and bounce. And the ease with which these two are batting…I’ll be surprised if both of them don’t go there,” Rayudu said on ESPN Cricinfo.
“If conditions suit them, if you take a Gill, you would like to take Sudharsan as well, because they both complement each other beautifully. You are seeing it in the partnership; they both know each other’s game very well. It’s a great add-on if you want them to excel in different conditions,” he added.
Tom Moody suggested sending two Indian teams to Australia
Rayudu then claimed that even the other players in the Indian team are equally promising players, and he does not aim to insignify any players’ class or form. “I am not saying others are not good…It just might be that they both might be more suitable than the others,” Rayudu said.
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody quirkily answered back at Rayudu’s comments and, on a lighter note, said, “Send two teams.” India truly has too many good talents in recent times, and their form has been excellent in this season of the IPL. However, Moody referred that IPL performances should not be the only factor to decide on team selections.
“The depth…they have got is just phenomenal. But again, you are looking at the micro space of IPL; you need to look at the bigger picture. We all get carried away with what happens in IPL. But international cricket is on a different level again,” Moody warned.
They might end up playing the final: Former World Cup-winning captain backs World Champions to play 2028 final
After Tom Moody, another Australian, chipped in with his comments, but unlike Moody, he backed the Indians to qualify for their third consecutive final in the ICC T20 World Cup.
“They might end up playing the final,” said former World Cup-winning captain Aaron Finch (laughs). Aaron Finch’s claims make India a promising side much before the T20 World Cup plans begin.
They are the former two-time consecutive champions and will once again enter the 2028 World Cup as the defending champions of the competition; however, this time Shubman Gill might also be seen as the captain of the side.
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