Former Indian Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels that the Indian team should not be more concerned about the T20 team selection as the T20 World Cup is scheduled only next year and praised Shubman Gill for his breathtaking century for a pressure situation against RCB on Sunday.
Kohli scored an unbeaten 101 off 61 deliveries to score a back-t0-back hundreds in the cash-rich league which went in vain as Shubman Gill, who has often been touted as Kohli’s successor in Indian cricket proved his worth once again with his consecutive hundreds, following his ton against SRH and with a terrific unbeaten 52-ball 104 in a chase against RCB to keep them out of the playoffs.
Speaking to India Today, Cricketer-turned-commentator Sunil Gavaskar said that Shubman Gill’s hundred under pressure was an exceptional one as the Indian team should not be worried about Virat Kohli’s selection in the T20 team as the T20 World Cup is more than year’s time and rated Shubman Gill’s innings as a better one than that of the Virat Kohli’s innings.
“What we should be talking about is Shubman Gill’s batting because he got a hundred under pressure. I don’t think we should be concerned about the selection for T20 because the next T20I, at least as far as the World Cup is concerned is more than a year away,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
“So I don’t think we should be too concerned about it because what that man Shubman Gill did yesterday (Sunday) was simply breathtaking. To be able to bat better than what Virat Kohli had done takes something special and that’s what he did.”
Gill formed 123 runs with Vijay Shankar for the second wicket after Wriddhiman Saha was dismissed in the third over by Mohammed Siraj, he held one end for the Gujarat Titans mostly importantly finishing the game for the side in the final over and the youngster will contribute to his team’s success in the knockout stages of this edition of the Indian Premier League.
It Thinks Now Is The Time To Look At The Future – Sunil Gavaskar On Indian T20 team
Sunil Gavaskar hailed Virat Kohli’s century as his brilliant one under pressure and was impressed by Shubman Gill’s power-hitting skills as he looked elegant playing his shots and reckons that it is important for Indian team management to look at the future prospects more than worrying Virat Kohli’s spot in T20 team.
“Kohli’s innings earlier were unbelievable, absolutely terrific. While it was more about power hitting, with Shubman Gill it was so smooth, it was so elegant, and there was not a foot put wrong. It was just sublime batting.”
“I think we should be talking more about that than worrying about whether Kohli deserves a place in the team or not. I think now is the time to look at the future and that future is Shubman Gill,” Sunil Gavaskar added.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were not picked in the Indian team after the men in blue’s loss against England in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup as Hardik Pandya was given the responsibility to lead the team with the future in mind and it will interesting to see whether go back to Indian stalwarts for 2024 T20 World Cup or groom the youngsters for the big event.