"You have 6 left-handers in the XI" - Aakash Chopra suggests Shubman Gill's potential replacement for IND vs SA 2025 2nd Test

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Ruturaj Gaikwad should replace Shubman Gill in the playing XI if the latter isn't available for the second Test against South Africa. He highlighted that Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, the two batters who missed the first Test, are both left-handers, with the hosts already having six southpaws in the XI.

The second Test between India and South Africa is scheduled to start in Guwahati on Saturday, November 22. Gill, who retired after playing only three deliveries in the first innings and didn't bat in the second innings in India's 30-run loss in the first Test in Kolkata, might not be available for the game.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener wondered why Gaikwad cannot be drafted into the XI from outside the squad if Gill is ruled out of the second Test.

"Should Ruturaj Gaikwad be selected in the Test team? You might be wondering how he can be selected as the team is already selected, and no one has gone out. There is still no clarity on Shubman Gill's participation. He has been discharged from the hospital, but there is still a question mark over his participation," the former India opener said. (1:15) "Just in case he doesn't become available, you will have to play someone. You have Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal sitting outside - two more left-handers. You have six left-handers in the XI at the moment. Do you want to go with seven left-handers? You want to change that, maybe," he added.

Aakash Chopra highlighted that off-spinner Simon Harmer is a huge threat in the South African bowling attack. He opined that India should seriously consider playing the right-handed Ruturaj Gaikwad instead of adding one more left-hander in such a scenario.

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"He is in excellent form" - Aakash Chopra on Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of IND vs SA 2025 2nd Test

Ruturaj Gaikwad is yet to make his Test debut. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Ruturaj Gaikwad is in excellent form, wondering why the Maharashtra batter isn't being considered for India A in the red-ball format.

"He is in excellent form. He is scoring runs for India A in white-ball cricket. Don't know why he is not played in the days' format when the India A team plays, but wherever he is playing, whether it's the Ranji Trophy or the Duleep Trophy, he has been scoring the runs," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Gaikwad is a middle-order batter in the longest format and had also scored an unbeaten 123 against Australia in a T20I in Guwahati two years ago.

"He even bats in the middle order. He looks technically compact. It seems like he has been made to play Tests, and this is the same ground where he struck a T20I century vs Australia. So I am building a case for him that if there is any chance of Shubman Gill not playing, paradrop and bring him in," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra pointed out that he isn't considering Sarfaraz Khan as the Mumbai batter hasn't been in good form lately. On the flip side, he noted that Ruturaj Gaikwad is ready and can be included in the team, highlighting that extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer