Shubman Gill has been the talk of the town since the beginning of 2023 when he replaced senior Indian batter Shikhar in India’s ODI team. The right-hander has had a curious international career so far with a host of runs in white ball cricket but he has found the going considerably tough in Test Cricket.
The Initial Years
Shubman Gill made a name for himself in the 2018 Under 19 World Cup where he scored 418 runs at a whopping average of 104.50 which included a match-winning century against Pakistan in the semi-final of the multination tournament. The right-hander won the Player of the Tournament award for his breathtaking batting. Shubhman had the habit of making big runs from a very young which is evident by the fact that he won the BCCI award for Best Junior Cricketer for two consecutive years 2013-14 and 2014-15 which helped him earn a place in Punjab’s white and red ball teams in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Gill continued the good work When picked for the Under 19 team as he starred in India’s handsome 3-1 win at home over England in the Youth ODIs, scoring 351 runs in four innings and then went on to match up to his high standards in his first tour of England soon after. India whitewashed the hosts 5-0 and Gill top-scored again with 278 runs across four innings.
The International Debut
Shubman continued to pile on runs after winning the Under 19 World Cup and soon earned his maiden international call-up when India toured New Zealand in 2019. Although he failed to make a significant contribution the talent he possessed through his range of shots impressed everyone
The IPL Journey
Shubman was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 IPL auction and the batter delivered some impressive performances while batting in an unusual position. Despite his scoring runs biggest criticism against Shubman was his low strike rate which he took care of when he moved to Gujarat Titns in 2022. Gill scored at a considerably fast pace in partnership with Saha as the duo gave the Titans a solid start which played a vital role in the team’s maiden title win in their debut season.
Shubman raised his gave to a great extent in the following season and scored more than 800 runs. The right-hander was on the verge of breaking Kohli’s record of most runs in an IPL season but wasn’t able to breach that. His consistent batting guided Gujarat Titans to their second IPL final in as many seasons
Shubman Gill 104*(52) vs RCB: IPL 2023
The Second Chance
After a string of impressive performances in domestic cricket, Shubman earned a spot in India’s squad for the tour of Australia in 2020 and he made the most of the opportunity as the right-hander scored an attacking half-century which set up the team’s historic win in the fourth Test at the Gabba. It was this innings that helped Gill cement his place, especially in Test cricket.
Despite his match-winning innings at the Gabba Gill got a string of starts but wasn’t able to convert those into big scores and needed an opportunity to prove his worth which he got during India’s tour of Zimbabwe where the right-hander scored a century, an inning which is considered to be a turning point in Gill’s career as he hasn’t looked back since then in ODI cricket.
A Year to Remember
Gill was at his absolute best during the 2022-2023 home season as he scored a double ton against New Zealand which was followed by his maiden T20I century in Ahemadabad against the same opposition. The right-hander continued his good run of form throughout 2023 as he took every bowling attack he played against to the cleaners. The only tournament where Gill wasn’t able to perform as per expectations was the 2023 ODI World Cup as the right-hander had to miss the initial few matches due to Dengue. Having said that the opener ended the tournament with 554 runs to his name.
The Challenge
Shubhman’s form in Test cricket has been a bit of a concern as the right-hander hasn’t been able to score runs consistently. The batter has been under more severe scrutiny since he started batting at number three. Despite all the criticism Gill is focused on scoring runs and wants his bat to do the talking. The right-hander is slowly and steadily making a name for himself as a batter who can be relied upon while chasing in the fourth innings.
