Tick-tock, tick-tock – The two arrows of the industrious clock went about steering the world past the year, 2016. With less than a handful of days left for the completion of the year, the star-studded India Under-19 side took on Sri Lanka Under-19 in the summit clash of the Asia Cup. Prithvi Shaw, Abhishek Sharma and, to a lesser extent, Himanshu Rana had their eyes set on collecting a compendium of boundaries and sixes.
Then, there was Shubman Gill. The No. 3 batter too played with a sense of adventure, cracking a few drives off Jehan Daniel. However, his game was built more on the edicts of pacing the innings. In a nutshell, rotation of strike was the salient feature of his batting. Eventually, in a bid to accelerate, Gill fell for a 92-ball 70, but his potential to convert starts into scores of substance was clearly visible.
Over the years, Gill has gone on to play for the senior India side across formats. In the longest format, Gill might have not fulfilled the promise he showcased in that Asia Cup or the subsequent Under-19 World Cup. But in the 50-over format, he has done exactly what was envisaged of his batting during his formative years: Seven ODI tons, which includes a double-hundred. Astonishingly, he averages 60.16 and has a strike-rate of just over 100 in that format. Basically, he has blended all those massive scores with an excellent strike-rate.
In the third and final game of the three-match series versus England, we saw yet more evidence of Gill’s insatiable hunger when he composed a superbly paced 102-ball 112. During that knock, Gill didn’t just pinch singles and twos, but he was also ready to land the lusty blows. The innings comprised 14 boundaries and three sixes.
The way he went through with his shot despite not exactly getting to the pitch of the ball while facing England’s lynchpin, Adil Rashid, tells us that he isn’t afraid to take risks. Just that Gill understands better than most when it comes to changing gears.
His double-century, against New Zealand, in 2023, also serves as the perfect illustration of Gill’s ability to tweak his template. He took 88 deliveries to reach the three-figure mark. He completed his 150 off 121 and finally ended up with 208 off 149 deliveries.
The Indian camp would trust Gill to continue his rich vein of form in the upcoming Champions Trophy. Less than a couple of years ago, Gill had compiled 354 runs at an average of 44.25 in the 50-over World Cup. Although those are good numbers, Gill was expected to touch greater heights in that tournament. A bout of dengue just before the start of that tournament didn’t help his cause. This time around, perhaps the stars are perfectly aligning for Gill’s willow to burn brightly in the Champions Trophy, in the desert of the UAE.