Cricket News: The future is Shubman Gill for India
It’s safe to say that Shubman Gill is seen as a young prospect who will be a crucial part of India’s future going forward.
Shubman Gill: Young prospect who is a crucial part of India’s future.But should he still be seen as a prospect?
It’s been four years since Gill & co. won the U-19 World Cup in New Zealand, and he is still being seen as a prospect – just as he was back then.
On the one hand, you can make the argument that Gill is still waiting for his chance is a good sign as far as India’s bench strength is concerned.
On the other hand, it represents a bit of a bungling of a player who is not only highly talented but also ready for the spotlight right now.
As Gill is being made to sit on the bench at a time when India’s three opening choices – KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, and Rohit Sharma – are all struggling for form.
Now you can argue that Rohit is not droppable since he’s the captain, but can the same be said about Rahul and Dhawan? Especially since their slump has been going on for a while too.
Yet they have gotten chance after chance atop the order while a player ready to step into their shoes is kept benched. If it makes no sense, that’s because it shouldn’t be happening.
For one, Gill is the kind of player who would be perfect for ODI cricket. He scores briskly but isn’t a destructive batsman in the mould of Jos Buttler or Alex Hales.
Instead, Gill’s strength lies in his ability to bat long and accumulate runs. That’s not to say he doesn’t look to attack – he has every shot in the book. But he will pick and choose his moments.
What’s more, his ability to hit big shots, especially off the spinners, makes it imperative he bat deep into an innings – when the spinners are likelier to bowl.
And while some see his strike rate as an issue, he can be accommodated into the side of the middle order, which looks to take more responsibility in the attack.
What’s more, he is the kind of player who learns quickly, will get better as time passes, and gains more experience. But for that to happen, he must first be given chances to play at the top level.
For his part, Gill has repeatedly stressed he is not too worried about waiting for his chance at becoming an India regular.
“I am not looking that far (playing in the 2023 World Cup). Right now, my focus is to make the most out of the chances I get to play for the country and score big,” he had said during the New Zealand series.
However, just because Gill isn’t worried doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t be. A player of his natural ability should not be warming the bench.
He should be out in the middle, as often as possible, doing what he does best – scoring runs that win the team matches. And the sooner that happens regularly, the better for India.