'Why can’t we have both of them?' - Robin Uthappa opens up on 'Shubman Gill versus Ruturaj Gaikwad' debate

Since Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20I cricket last month, fans have been wondering who will be able to fill the massive shoes of the former India captain. 2007 T20 World Cup winner Robin Uthappa feels that two frontrunners, Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad, should be regulars in the playing XI with the kind of talent and skills they possess.

India have been blessed with some legendary batters over the years. Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli established themselves as one of the finest players among their respective contemporaries. After Kohli has bid farewell to the shortest format of the game, fans have been discussing possible candidates who could spearhead the Indian batting in the years to come. Shubman and Ruturaj have emerged as the possible choices with their exceptional skill sets.

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Uthappa picked Ruturaj as the more consistent batter between the two but commended Shubman for his ability to mix touch and power.

“Why can’t we have both of them because they’re just good players. Their numbers speak for itself, both have phenomenal numbers in T20 cricket. You can’t pick between the two. If we look at consistency, you will see that Ruturaj is a little more consistent as far as numbers are concerned. But Shubman Gill gives you the versatility of having touch and power as well,” said on Sony Sports Network.

“It’s hard to pick between the two of them, ideally you would like to have both of them to play and why shouldn’t India have both of them play is what I’m asking because both of them are all format players,” Uthappa added.

I will go for Shubman Gill because I feel there’s lot of solidity about him: Russell Arnold

Meanwhile, former Sri Lanka cricketer Russell Arnold, who was also on the panel, picked Shubman to be the ideal replacement for Kohli, pointing out the Punjab batter's ability to change gears whenever he wants to.

“I will go for Shubman Gill because I feel there’s lot of solidity about him. The players around him have flair and the he can change gears whenever he wishes. He’s a different type of player to the rest of the Indian players not power cricket but he will get it into different areas,” said Arnold on Sony Sports Network.

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Shubman, who was appointed as India's vice-captain in white-ball cricket ahead of the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, has scored 539 runs from 20 T20Is at an average of 29.94 and a strike rate of 142.59. Meanwhile, Ruturaj, who was snubbed from the aforementioned tour, has amassed 633 runs from 20 T20I innings at an average of 39.56 and a strike rate of 143.54.