Shubman Gill is no doubt the next pin-up boy of Indian cricket. After Sunil Gavaskar left the scene, it was Sachin Tendulkar who filled that void in more ways than one. By the time Tendulkar made an entire nation emotional, Virat Kohli was ready to take the baton from him. And now, as shades of grey in Kohli’s beard grows exponentially, Shubman is the next in line. Anyone who watched him bat last night would agree he is ready to take on the mantle.
Gavaskar was a product of his times. An India still in its youth, trying to rebuild after a fierce struggle for independence. He wanted to save his team and then look at the options. Tendulkar happened to India at the time of economic liberalisation, and the flamboyance was a function of his age. Virat Kohli’s generation didn’t carry the baggage of the past and showed what fearlessness is all about, while Gill belongs to a generation where patience is not considered to be one of the blessed virtues. Like instant noodles, people crave instant success but somewhere down the line, they might just stop and applaud a talent like Shubman, who will cater to this generation’s needs but at the same time not compromise on his virtues as a cricketer.
He hasn’t been swayed despite all the accolades coming his way, for Gill has never bothered about what’s being said about him when he takes the field to bat. “It’s only when you are off the field that you come to know about what’s being said about you,” he once said. “Once you enter the field, these things fade out. You only think about the opposition and ways to win matches.”
Unimaginable money, instant stardom – an Indian cricketer’s life is always in the fast lane. Gill understands the pressures of it and has stayed rooted.
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In the 80 minutes that he was out there, what Gill unleashed last night was systematic carnage on the KKR attack. If there was width outside the off stump, he would play the imperious square cut, and if it was full, the cover drive came out of the closet. And when it was dug in short, he would either slash it over point or pull it over mid-wicket. Whenever the bowlers pitched the ball up, Gill with his fleet-footedness would reach the pitch of the deliveries to play either the cover drive or the on-drive. It was batting at its imperious best.
But can he now do this in Test cricket? He hasn’t done justice to his talent overseas, and that’s his big test.
Each time in the past, when Shubman toured England, he didn’t face the pressure of performance as the world wasn’t watching. Rather, everyone was watching Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. All we now want is for Kohli’s heir apparent to be ready for the task come June 20, and the first Test against England. Gill has miles to travel and many milestones to reach. He will have his share of disappointments, but from what we have seen this IPL, there is every reason to believe that he will push the bar. And in doing so, he would help Indian cricket scale greater heights, just like Tendulkar and Kohli did.
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