India’s new Test captain and star batter Shubman Gill is in the form of his life. Despite being handed the Test captaincy at the mere age of 25, the player lived up to the expectations and played a crucial role in helping India eke out a thrilling 2-2 draw in the recently-concluded Test series against England. Gill smashed a chart-topping 754 runs at an average of 75.40, with four centuries, including his best score of 269. His terrific performance also saw Gill become ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July.
Heaping praises on the player on Sky Sports Cricket, former India batting all-rounder and ex-coach of the national cricket team Ravi Shastri said that Gill is here to stay for a “long time”.
When asked about who the rising star of Indian cricket is, Shastri said, “No question, Shubman Gill. He’ll be around for a long, long time because we’ve seen what kind of series he’s had here. I think he’s only 25 years of age, and as you know, with this exposure, he’ll get even better.”
“He’s right up there. He’ll be up there. He’s composed. He’s very regal. He’s got that, you know, when you look at him, he’s something regal about him. The way he bats, he’s very easy on the eye, very fluent and has the ability to play the long innings,” he added.
This year, Gill has scored 1234 runs in 20 innings (14 matches) at an average of 64.94, with six centuries, the highest by any batter this year and two fifties across all forms of the game. He is the second-highest run-getter this year, with England’s Ben Duckett at the top with 1290 runs in 23 matches and 27 innings at an average of 47.77, with three centuries and eight fifties. His best score is 165.
Among Indians, Gill’s distant rivals are KL Rahul (741 runs in 14 matches and 19 innings at an average of 46.31, with two centuries and two fifties) and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (605 runs in 13 matches and 17 innings at an average of 67.22, with a century and five fifties).
(With ANI Inputs)