Shubman Gill cracked seven fours and 10 sixes in the Qualifier 2 game against Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium. But the quality of the shots on view was such that every one of them seemed worthy of being included in the highlights package.
How do you leave out all those flicks and glances? What about Gill charging down the deck and lofting a 106-metre six, which left even Hardik Pandya in a state of disbelief? Surely, one has to upload the shimmy down the pitch and the subsequent adjustment he made to short-arm-jab a six off Cameron Green. In other words, almost every stroke was essayed with a touch of nonchalance juxtaposed with some chutzpah. In fact, Gill rarely attempted a slog during his 60-ball 129, but it still felt as if he was playing with a bit of swagger.
Gill’s ability to shift gears as and when needed is the foundation stone of his batting. He can motor along in second gear by adding runs in a diet of singles and twos. In that same over, he can also hit top gear and crack two or three sixes. Just to give an example, in the 12th over bowled by Mumbai’s Akash Madhwal, he flicked, pulled and played the pick-up shot. At the same time, he pinched a couple of singles to deep midwicket and long-off.
In the very next over bowled by Piyush Chawla, he danced down the track to crack a couple of big shots, alongside collecting a four through short fine-leg. Gill was also alert enough to thread the gap through midwicket and steal a double. His uncanny knack of changing gears meant that none of Mumbai’s bowlers could settle down into any kind of rhythm.
“He is able to do both – hit sixes and find the gaps in the powerplay, which I think is his biggest strength,” said Vijay Shankar, his Gujarat teammate, in the post-match press conference. “There was an innings where he scored 90 (101 against Sunrisers Hyderabad), and it had just one six. He has the ability to do both and he knows when to use what, which is a highlight of a top cricketer.”
On a quest to defend the title, Ashish Nehra’s boys have been great throughout. A throwback to the last season, where Nehra ji spoke about #ShubmanGill , #HardikPandya as a captain, & his decision to take up the HC role.
He surely has done wonders for the team.@ThumsUpOfficial pic.twitter.com/0ZdTK56rFs
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) May 27, 2023
Some years ago, Gill wasn’t this good. It is true that he did compile a fifty in his maiden one-day game for India Under-19, against Sri Lanka, in December 2016. It is also true that he dominated the proceedings at the subsequent Under-19 World Cup played in New Zealand. Who can forget his brilliant ton against Pakistan Under-19 in the semifinal, where we saw some of those trademark flicks, pulls and the occasional ramp shot off Arshad Iqbal, Musa Khan and Ali Zaryeb?
Gill was soon fast-tracked into the Indian set-up, and he made his ODI debut in New Zealand in 2018-19. But somewhere, it felt as if he was a classical player, who could be contained by the opposition bowlers. His numbers at his previous franchise – Kolkata Knight Riders – epitomise this point. Over three seasons – 2019 to 2021 – he accumulated 296, 440 and 478 runs at strike-rates of 124.35, 117.96 and 118.9. It is clearly evident from those numbers that his strike-rate was on the lower side.
But over the last one year, Gill has taken his game to another level. He blazed a double-century in an ODI against New Zealand. He accrued a couple of Test tons, and now has three IPL hundreds in a single season. All those whispers surrounding his low strike-rate have disappeared into thin air: In the ongoing IPL season, Gill has scored a six every 16 deliveries, compared to one every 33 balls in IPL 2022 and 2021.
“He has amazing work ethic, that’s why he is one of the best cricketers right now,” said Shankar. “He is hitting those sixes like he’s batting in Test cricket. The way he practices is something that’s important. Every practice session he goes out there and does what he wants, he practices with purpose. Every time he turns up for a game, it’s so lovely to see him switch on from ball one.”
Perhaps it is also to do with the full backing he has received from the Gujarat Titans backroom staff and Pandya, his captain. Just a few months ago, during a T20I series against New Zealand, Gill had praised Pandya’s leadership skills and said: “He told me to bat the way I do, and that there is no need to do anything extra.”
On a balmy Friday night in Ahmedabad, he was certainly batting on a different plane. A casual cricket fan might still dismiss it as a work of fiction, but those who witnessed Gill’s willowy magic would likely remember every shot that he played. Perhaps the mystery surrounding which was the best shot of the lot can’t be solved after all.
Also Read: Shubman Gill Reaps Rewards For Keeping Faith in the Basics
Very well written