'99% available': Rohit Sharma reveals chances of Shubman Gill playing in India-Pakistan 2023 ODI World Cup match

Indian captain Rohit Sharma, in a press conference, revealed that star player Shubman Gill is "99 per cent available" for the crucial match against Pakistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday. Gill has been recovering from dengue, but he has been training and is expected to be fit for the match.

Sharma who was optimistic at Gill's fitness said, "99 percent he (Gill) is available." "We'll see tomorrow (Saturday) about that,” he added.

Shubman Gill is currently undergoing recovery from dengue. He was recently flown from Chennai to Ahmedabad this Wednesday, to receive better medical care. Unfortunately, the timing of his illness has meant that he has missed India's first two ODI World Cup matches, which were against Australia and Afghanistan in Chennai and New Delhi, respectively.

Ishan Kishan stepped into Gill’s shoes and opened both the matches. He could continue to stand-in for Gill unless the latter is declared fully fit to return to the ground. 

The prospective inclusion of Shubman Gill in the team could potentially jeopardise Ishan Kishan's place in the side, despite his commendable knock of 47 in Wednesday's match against Afghanistan.

Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's return is also hinted at despite his absence in the last match against Afghanistan. Notwithstanding his influential comeback against Australia, the divulgation on India's playing XI remains undisclosed, with Rohit keeping the cards close to his chest.

Both India and Pakistan enter the clash tomorrow after having not lost a single match so far at the 2023 ODI World Cup. India won their tournament opener by six wickets, chasing down Australia's score of 200 runs with fifties from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul.

India's stars shined bright as they successfully chased Afghanistan's 273-run total in the second match, largely thanks to a century by Rohit Sharma. 

This Saturday, all eyes remain locked onto the upcoming mega encounter between India and Pakistan, marking their eighth meeting. With the Men in Blue currently maintaining an impressive winning streak of seven games - a record dating back to the 1992 tournament edition - anticipation for the clash is reaching fever pitch.

Pakistan Cricket Team's captain, Babar Azam, brushed off a statistic brought up during a recent pre-match press conference, expressing his determination to concentrate on the future. 

"I don't focus on the past; I try to focus on the future," Babar said.

"Such records are made to be broken and I try to break them. I will try to give a good performance tomorrow. 

"It depends on the day how you play. I believe my team did well in the first two matches and will do well in the next matches as well."

Also Read: IOC board approves inclusion of cricket in 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles