A Long-Haul Player: Shubman Gill’s Century in the Champions Trophy
Shubman Gill has been likened to a "lambi race ka ghoda" or a horse for the long haul by former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar. This metaphor underscores Gill’s potential to make a significant impact over an extended period, possibly up to 15 years. Manjrekar’s assessment comes in the wake of Gill’s outstanding performance in India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh, where he scored an unbeaten century. "He is batting at the right position to make a huge impact," Manjrekar said. "When he gets a hundred, like today, it seems like there is plenty left in the tank. It was like 60% of Shubman Gill is enough to get a hundred like this and he stays till the end. That is the difference between Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill—Gill will take you right till the end."
A Calm and Dominant Batting Display
Gill’s innings against Bangladesh was a masterclass in calm and dominance. He finished unbeaten on 101, guiding India to a successful chase of 229 runs in Dubai. Facing 129 balls, Gill hit nine fours and two sixes. One of his sixes, a front-foot pull off Tanzim Hasan in the ninth over, landed in the second tier of the stands, demonstrating his ability to dispatch good-length balls with power. Manjrekar was particularly impressed by Gill’s technique and ability to change gears during his innings. "He’s got the class to do it [change gears]," Manjrekar noted. "India are blessed with a top three who are also Test batters, so they can play different gears. Yashasvi Jaiswal, when he comes in eventually, is also a Test batter. So if the ball is swinging around in overseas conditions, they have the ability to see the new ball through and then handle the various situations."
Partnership with Rohit Sharma
Gill’s partnership with Rohit Sharma at the start of the innings was crucial. Together, they laid a solid foundation, with Gill racing to 26 off just 23 balls, including four fours and a six, by the end of the first powerplay. However, as Bangladesh employed spin on a slowish track and kept an in-and-out field, Gill had to adjust his approach. He scored his slowest ODI fifty, off 69 balls, and then reached his century in 125 balls, the slowest for an India batter in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup. Despite the slow pace, his ability to change gears and adapt to the situation was evident. "There is an air of dominance and surety with the way he bats and finishes games," Manjrekar observed. "He is a guy at the top of his 50-over-cricket prowess and he does it very calmly."
Restraint Against Spin
Former India legspinner Anil Kumble was impressed by Gill’s restraint against spin. Bangladesh had offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz and legspinner Rishad Hossain, and Gill scored only 34 off the 56 balls he faced against them, hitting just one four. However, he took 28 singles, which helped him keep the scoreboard ticking. "The other thing that was noticeable today was generally when he sees the offspinner he steps out and launches it over long-on, midwicket," Kumble said. "He didn’t want to take the risk perhaps because of the pitch. He felt that that was the riskier option. Although Miraz is someone he would take on—we have seen it even in Test match cricket. He was constantly looking to just ease through and ensure he was there till the end."
Technical Proficiency and Tactical Acumen
Gill’s technical proficiency and tactical acumen were evident throughout his innings. According to Manjrekar, "And also the ability to nick off singles, keep that scoreboard ticking. It is not that he plays the sweep shot a lot or the dab. He goes very traditional and loves to keep the bat straight. Even when he is playing the pull shot, the bat comes down very straight. A lot of his singles would be back-foot punches to long-on instead of playing just with soft hands. A guy who can get singles at will, can hit a six at will, has got a reasonably good defence for 50-over cricket, he’s the complete player at the moment."
Steady Nerve and Maturity
There were moments of tension when India slipped from 112 for 1 to 144 for 4 in under eight overs, but Gill’s steady nerve and maturity saw the team through. Kumble praised Gill’s performance, saying, "He’s been brilliant, especially in this format. The elegance and the ease with which he got that hundred on a difficult pitch. I don’t think it was a true pitch where the ball was coming on nicely. It was on the slower side and you had to make adjustments, yet he was middling the ball and timing it so well. The best part about Shubman Gill was he ensured he saw the game through. It was not like he wanted to get going, get runs [and get out], we have seen that before. That is the maturity he has brought into the game. Hope this is the start of a fantastic season for him and India, because when you play the first match in a tournament and you get a hundred not out and you are there till the end, it augurs well."
