Kapil Dev: Board should not think of sending opener to England now

Kapil Dev. Pic/PTI

Former India skipper Kapil Dev feels the Indian cricket board should not think of sending an opener to England if the team has to look at a replacement for the injured Shubman Gill ahead of the five-Test series against England in August-September this year.

There is speculation that Prithvi Shaw, who is on the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, could be sent to England as a backup opener.

While the Indian cricket team in England is fretting over the fitness of Gill who is doubtful for the first Test that begins in Nottingham on August 4 and speculation is building on whether India will send a back-up, the Indian cricket board is yet to come out with an official statement on the status of the batsman's injury.

As of now, the only information available is that Gill has a leg injury. There is no information on what the injury is and in which leg.

"I do not agree with the move of adding a new opener to the team. The team has already chosen the openers. Those who are with the squad should be given a chance to play. If you send a new player then the message does not go well," Kapil told abplive.com on Sunday.

"I don't think Prithvi Shaw needs to be sent. The decisions taken by the selectors should be respected. Even before, the advice of Virat and Shastri must have been taken while selecting the team. You have two good openers in KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal.

Kapil said there was no need for a third option.

"Only Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli can talk more about this. But in my view, this is not the right move. The players you have should be supported. Both are great players and I don't want anything wrong to happen to them. Controversy should not arise without reason," added Kapil.

Former India cricketers Deep Dasgupta and Wasim Jaffer have said recently that if the situation arises where the team has to look at a replacement for Gill, the choice should be between Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul.

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