Former India selector Saba Karim praises Shubman Gill following his impressive performance in the recently concluded ODI New Zealand.
Saba Karim Praises Shubman Gill
During the New Zealand tour of India 2023, 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is have been scheduled to play. He was adjudged the ‘Player of the Series’ for his sensational exploits with the willow, which included a maiden double hundred in the first match.
Gill who made his ODI debut in 2019 against New Zealand scored his first double-century against the same team on January 18, 2023. Shubman Gill with his impressive performance in the NZ ODI series equals Babar Azam’s record for scoring the most runs in a 3-match bilateral ODI series.
In a recent interaction, Karim said that Gill possesses a talent which has not been seen for some time and he can become the “backbone” of the Indian batting order.
“The temperament is good. He can carry forward the legacy set by Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. The biggest test is overseas conditions. Gill’s track in England wasn’t that good when he played Tests.
We hope that he becomes the backbone of Indian batting. We are witnessing such a skill after a long time. In the future, we have to check how he performs against tough opponents. We have to test him in difficult conditions and quality pace bowlers, but the start has been phenomenal,” Karim told India News.
Gill has been in contention for a spot in the ODI team but the double century in the recently concluded series helped his case quite a bit. Karim praised him for the maturity that he showed on the field and said that he can become a even better player in the future.
“There are a lot of things about Shubman Gill’s batting. He looks mature with the bat. By maturity, I mean game awareness, reading the game, playing different shots against bowlers, focusing on shot selection, how to run the scoreboard and complementing the partner when needed,” Karim added.
While India won the ODI series, IND vs NZ T20I series will begin on January 27. The omission of Rohit and Virat made a hustle among the cricket community but Indian head coach Rahul Dravid clears the air by explaining the reason for the bold move.
Shubman Gill has so far played 21 ODIs and scored 1254 runs at an average of 73.76 which includes 4 centuries, 1 double century and 4 half-centuries.
New Zealand leads the 3-match T20I series with a victory in the 1st T20I. India will play their 2nd T20I match on January 29 at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow.
