Ex-India middle-order giant Yuvraj Singh foresees a future brighter than the sparkly present that Shubman Gill continues to operate in at the international stage and thinks the prodigiously talented right-hander will be dominating the scene over the next 10 years.
Yuvraj has followed the young gun’s career from close quarters and has been a mentor and a guiding light for the fellow Punjab cricketer. He also opined that Gill is a strong contender to open the batting for India at the next year’s 2023 World Cup in home conditions as he keeps pushing the door for regular selection.
Gill has been tremendous for India this year as a stand-in opener in the absence of regularly rested skipper Rohit Sharma. Opening alongside declining incumbent Shikhar Dhawan, the youngster has regularly outshined his experienced teammate.
The 23-year-old has blasted his 638 runs for the year in ODIs with an excellent average of 70.88 while carrying an eye-catching strike rate of 102.57. Gill’s overall career SR stands at 99.13 with 57.25 runs per innings after 15 matches, including a ton and four half-centuries.
“I think Shubman is doing very well and is performing consistently. I believe he is a strong contender to open for India in the 2023 World Cup.”
Yuvraj told PTI, also praising the young player’s ethics and hard work for the game, especially during the coronavirus lockdown when Gill ensured his game retained a pink of health.
At the height of the pandemic, Gill was one of the Punjab youngsters that Yuvraj admirably took under his wings and got them to train under his supervision in a facility in Mohali while the world was confined to their homes due to the dangerous virus.
“Shubman is very hardworking and is doing all the right things. I believe he is destined for greatness in the next 10 years,”
he added.
Gill was also one of the chief architects of India’s remarkable 2-1 Test series triumph in Australia in 2020-21, when he seamlessly transitioned to the toughest format in his debut series and that too on perhaps the toughest possible assignment that is touring Down Under.
