Former Indian World Cup winner Sunil Gavaskar believes that young Indian opener Shubman Gill can score a flying hundred against New Zealand in the crucial semifinal clash in the Wankhede stadium. The Right-handed opener has had quite an incredible 2023 in the build-up to the World Cup in all three formats.
Because of his exceptional performance this year, Shubman Gill was expected to be an important part of India’s 2023 World Cup campaign but he was forced to miss the first two matches of the ICC event after being diagnosed with dengue and has played a few impactful knock for the team in the ongoing marquee event.
The Indian opener possesses a critical skill for International cricket as he can adapt to various circumstances and pitches. His versatility in all formats is evidenced by his constant performances in many contexts, in any condition.
Speaking on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar expects Shubman Gill to score a hundred if he manages to start his innings in an aggressive fashion in the Wankhede Stadium and believes that he has got hunger to score centuries in the big games.
“At the Wankhede Stadium, which is a batting paradise most of the time. So whether India is batting first or second, Shubman Gill gets off to a flying start, then you can expect that he will get to a hundred,” Sunil Gavaskar added.
“He has been getting out in the fifties, which is a little bit of a surprise to me because he has got the hunger for hundreds. He has already got five hundred in the year so far. Maybe he has saved the best for last,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
Shubman Gill is the only batsman in India’s top five who hasn’t scored a century in the ODI World Cup. Throughout the World Cup, he has amassed 270 runs at an average of 38.57 in seven innings, although his form has not been at its best to his ability in the tournament.
You Want To Be Technically Correct Against New Zealand And Shubman Gill Can Do That Job – Mohmmad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif said that it was tough for the young opener Shubman Gill to recover from dengue and expressed satisfaction with his performance against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium. He also praised Gill for his excellent technical batting and expressed the belief that he may make a significant difference against New Zealand.
“He was in great difficulty, he was ill. He lost five kgs, he got dengue. He was not fully fit but got an opportunity to play. He got out at the start but made a very good comeback. The 92-run knock you spoke about was fantastic.”
“He is a classy batter. He waits for the ball and then plays, meets it close to the body. He doesn’t throw his bat forward. You want to be technically correct against New Zealand, and Gill can do that job. He has form as well and he plays well on bouncy pitches like the Wankhede,” Mohammad Kaif said.
Just before India’s opening match of the competition against Australia in Chennai, he was hospitalized after receiving a dengue diagnosis. The 24-year-old has been the standout performer across formats in 2023 producing some match-winning performances for the Indian team.
