Andy Flower talks about growing competition in Indian squad

With Shubman Gill leading the team as captain, it is unlikely he will take a break, pushing Jaiswal to the bench for now

In the second T20I against Zimbabwe at Harare, Abhishek Sharma's stunning century has almost certainly secured his place in the lineup for the third match of the series. Ruturaj Gaikwad also displayed impressive form, which means Yashasvi Jaiswal might have to wait for his opportunity as there seems to be no room for him in the current playing XI.

With Shubman Gill leading the team as captain, it is unlikely he will take a break, pushing Jaiswal to the bench for now. Despite his recent inclusion in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup, Jaiswal will have to be patient for his chance to shine.

Former cricketer Andy Flower praised the Indian team's strong bench strength and acknowledged the challenge of managing such talent. Flower, who is currently the head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), believes that Abhishek deserves more opportunities after his stellar performance in the IPL and his impressive century in just his second international match. Flower shared his thoughts during a review of the second match on Sony Sports.

“Well, we have got Jaiswal still coming into the series, haven't we? So that sort of competition is exactly what the Indian selectors and all the Indian followers are looking for. It makes it really interesting and it's great for the Indian game if they have got lots of options like that,” Flower said.

“He should be confident at the moment coming off such a great IPL and then getting a hundred in his second international match. So what a great start. It's really important to get those runs as a young player because confidence and self-belief are so important to your chance of doing well. So I am very happy for him and I am looking forward to seeing more of him in this series,” he further added.

In addition to Jaiswal, both Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube are set to join the Indian squad for the third T20I. Given their recent participation in the T20 World Cup squad, they are expected to be included in the playing XI for the upcoming match.