Team India opener Shubman Gill has missed the first two games of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 due to dengue. However, he could return in the upcoming fixture against arch-rivals Pakistan. And, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt hopes he is likely to maintain his impressive form as well.

He also said that while there could be some weaknesses after dengue, the youngster can overcome them as well. He further added that Shubman Gill’s return will boost India’s batting lineup, claiming that he has been in sublime form in the recent past.

“A player won’t lose his form after sitting out for a few days. It won’t make a big difference. Even if there was some weakness, he would have worked on it during practice.” Butt said in his latest YouTube video. “If Gill returns, it will be a massive advantage for Team India. He has been a key member of that side in the last 18 months or so. He has been an important player who has scored more runs than anybody else. He has scored effective and match-winning runs.”

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However, India and Pakistan will play against each other at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 13. Notably, Gill has reached Ahmedabad and he was also recently seen batting in the nets as well.

“Has not even played 25 percent of the cricket that Jasprit Bumrah has” – Salman Butt on the comparison of Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi

Meanwhile, Salman Butt also opined on how it was not fair to compare Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi with Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. He further added that Bumrah is a seasoned campaigner who has proved his worth across formats. The veteran also asked fans to wait till Shaheen Shah Afridi plays a few more matches before drawing comparisons between them as well.

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However, Shaheen is out of form so far in the 2023 World Cup. He has picked up just two wickets from as many games. Bumrah, meanwhile, has six scalps from two matches as well.

Butt concluded: “Why do people draw comparisons between Shaheen Afridi and Jasprit Bumrah? Shaheen has not even played 25 percent of the cricket that Bumrah has. Bumrah is a very experienced player and has played Test cricket across the world. He has given brilliant performances in all three formats, doing well with the new ball as well as the old ball. How can you compare Shaheen to a senior bowler? Shaheen is a wonderful talent, but at least let me play half the number of matches that Bumrah has.”