India has dominated the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since the 2014-15 series, with victories in the last two tours of Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. As the Indian cricket team gears up for the upcoming five-match Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia, there are high expectations for India to continue their winning streak.
With the potential absence of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, who have been out of the squad for some time, the focus has shifted to identifying suitable replacements for these crucial positions in India's lineup.
When asked about possible replacements for Pujara and Rahane in the upcoming series, Dinesh Karthik suggested Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan as strong candidates.
"Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan. Both of these batters performed exceptionally well against England in the home series earlier this year. I believe both of them will be on that flight to Australia and will give their best efforts. We will see if they can fill the big shoes of Ajinkya and Pujji (Pujara). They have the talent and calibre to do so," Karthik said on the HeyCB with DK show on Cricbuzz.
Considering the impressive performances of younger players recently, a return for Rahane and Pujara appears unlikely.
Shubman Gill, who has played 25 Test matches, has accumulated 1,492 runs at an average of 35.52, including 4 centuries and 6 half-centuries. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Khan has played in 3 Test matches, scoring 200 runs.