The Exciting Prospect of Shubman Gill

 

One name that every cricket fan in the world, especially the Indian cricket fan is excited about Shubman Gill. The boy from Punjab has taken the ODI format by storm in the past couple of weeks and its about time I express my feelings over this extremely talented batsman.

I remember watching him bat for the first time in U-19 World Cup in New Zealand in 2018 and it was just the beginning of what is on its way to become a bright and astounding career. He batted with so much authority and flare even at such a young age, that it was very refreshing. His century against arch-rivals Pakistan is still fresh in our memories. Fast forward to 2023 and he is still batting with the same authority and flare that too on a bigger stage. ODI format seems to be like a cakewalk for him off-late. He has been very consistent in the recent past, so much so that he is the highest run-scorer in ODIs since the beginning of 2022 and he doesn’t look like he is going to stop. He also became the latest entrant in the 200-club after his 208 in Hyderabad against New Zealand. On a difficult pitch where every other Indian batter struggled, he was batting fluently and made it feel like a different pitch altogether. Entering such an elite club so early in his career is a huge achievement. To follow it up with another century in a span of 2 ODIs is a testament to his temperament and his hunger for runs. 4 centuries and 5 half-centuries in 21 innings in ODIs is enough proof that this guy is here to stay.

When in full flow his stroke making is a sight to behold. He has an amazing ease to his batting which makes it even more eye catching. On off side he just oozes class. The square cuts and the cover drives are beautiful. He is a rare Indian batsman who plays the pull shot exceedingly well. Probably the 2nd best puller of the cricket ball in the current crop of Indian players, only behind Rohit Sharma. Going past the technical aspects of his batting, I feel he is very confident and assured about his own game. I feel that is the thing that sets him apart from other youngsters. This confident attitude of his is also influential in him scoring all those runs at a very good pace and thus helping India in making those aggressive starts in the Powerplay.

He really announced himself on the big stage in 2021 when he played one of the most important knocks of his small career, dare I say his life in Australia at Gabba in that historic Test Match. That inning of 91 against the likes of Hazelwood, Cummins and Lyon made it very evident that this lad has the game and more importantly the mental toughness required in International Cricket. Although post that he hasn’t yet done anything worth mentioning in the longest format, I am sure that in the years to come he can become the mainstay of Indian batting across formats.

Although the sample size is very small to make any assumptions, it is definitely enough to make me excited about the future. Recently a photo of Gill and Kohli became viral as it reminded people of a similar photo from 2011 World Cup which had Sachin and Kohli in it. I agree it is very soon to say and we for sure aren’t in need of a replacement for Kohli but with the game and the skill that Gill has, I feel he will be the perfect person to take the baton from the King when the time comes. I hope he is ready by then to fill in those huge shoes. But until such a day comes upon us, lets just enjoy this young lad and be extremely happy that the future of Indian batting looks as bright as it could.

 

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