Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli shared his thoughts about his influence on the young and talented batsman, Shubman Gill. He also revealed his belief around Gill’s potential for success in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship Final against Australia.
Gill has swiftly risen to prominence across all three formats of the game in the past year, showcasing his abilities with impressive performances. At the start of the year, the 23-year-old achieved a remarkable feat by scoring a record-breaking double-century in a ODI against New Zealand. He further proved his prowess in the Indian Premier League, accumulating three centuries and a total of 890 runs.
Kohli observed that Gill takes pride in witnessing the young batter’s progress at the top of the order. Kohli also commended Gill’s dedication to look out for continuous improvement and his remarkable skill-set at such a young age.
“He (Gill) speaks to me a lot about the game, is very keen to learn and has an amazing skill set at his age,” Kohli told the ICC. “He has got an amazing ability and a temperament to perform at the highest level and is confident and we do have that relationship and we do have that understanding based upon respect.”
Kohli also emphasized his commitment to aiding Gill’s growth and helping him realize his full potential, with the goal of ensuring a long and successful career for the young talent, which would ultimately benefit Indian cricket. He stressed the responsibility of senior players to mentor and guide younger players, sharing the insights gained throughout their own careers.
“I am keen to help him grow and really understand his potential and come into his own so that he can play for a long time and perform consistently and India cricket gets benefited,” Kohli said. “These tags of king and prince and all of that kind of thing are great for the public and spectators to see, but I think the job of any senior player is to help improve the youngsters and give them the insight you have had throughout your career.
“As long as a guy is keen to learn like him he is going to be fine as he wants to learn how to do this for a long time at the highest level and perform consistently. He is a lovely kid and he is playing amazingly well and I wish he continues the same in this Test match.”