Is Yashasvi Jaiswal-Shubman Gill the new Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma for India in T20Is? Star opener gives striking reply

One of the most significant factors that will eventually define Gautam Gambhir's tenure as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team three years later, will be finding the rightful replacement for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma across the two white-ball formats. The two veteran cricketers retired from T20Is last month after India's World Cup win in Barbados and could end their ODI careers next year after the Champions Trophy in February.

The auditions in the T20I format have already begun in Gambhir's absence, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill taking up the role in the ongoing tour of Zimbabwe, where former India cricketer VVS Laxman was sent as a stand-in coach. On Saturday, in India's emphatic 10-wicket win in the fourth T20I match of the series, a second of a kind for the side in the format, Jaiswal and Gill forged an unbeaten 156-run stand.

Jaiswal played the aggressor in the partnership as he smashed an unbeaten 93 before Gill, who made a rather sluggish start in the chase and was happily playing second fiddle, joined the party towards the fag end of the chase in Harare to complete his fifty.

After the match, Jaiswal was asked about the freshly-brewing comparisons made about his partnership with Gill, with that of Kohli and Rohit, and rather than being overwhelmed, he made a striking response.

"I think what they have done for Indian cricket is just incredible and being a part of that dressing room is a blessing. We (him and Gill) are trying to take it match-by-match and one day at a time, focussing on the process," Jaiswal said in the post-match conference.

Overall, the pair have batted together seven times as an opener in a T20I match, scoring 429 runs at 71.50, with two century stands. The run tally is currently the fourth-highest by an Indian opening pair.

Jaiswal, who was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his knock in Harare, also opened up about how Rohit and Kohli's guidance has helped him gain experience in international cricket.

"It does help to control emotions a lot and read the game better as there are different situations on the ground. And every time you talk to Rohit bhai or Virat bhaiyya, I get a lot of experience, enjoy talking to them and learning from them," he said. "To be honest, a lot of things happened in my life. I am really enjoying it. I just try take one day at a time and make sure I enjoy the moment which is very important. Everything else is in God's hands and whatever he gives, I will take it."