Shubman Gil scored 49-ball 67 against PBKS© BCCI/Sportzpics
It isn’t often that we see the top-scoring batter of a match coming in the line of fire. Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill scored 67 runs off 49 balls, playing a big role in the team’s pursuit of 154-run target against Punjab Kings. However, despite chasing a mediocre total, and get the sort of start Gujarat got, not many expected the game to go to the last over. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, displeased with the batting shown by Shubman Gill, advised him to learn from MS Dhoni if he wants to stay till the end and finish the chase.
“From this game, the takeaway is that if a batter is set, he should try and finish the game in the 18th or 19th over. If you are taking it till the end, show a temperament like MS Dhoni and don’t get out. Shubman Gill might be asked how the game went to the 20th over. Sai Sudharsan scored at a strike rate of around 100. David Miller was also rather quiet,” Manjrekar said in a chat on ESPNCricinfo.
While there’s no denying that Gill could’ve done better in the middle overs, Manjrekar also maintains that he is quite young, unlike talismans like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
“Let’s not forget that he is very young. But because he has such amazing ability, we are expecting great things from him. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have a lot of experience of death overs. Kohli knows how to stay till the end and finish the game. Dhoni has spent his entire life batting in the death overs,” Manjrekar added.
“Gill hasn’t got too many chances yet. But he is a potentially great player and knows that remaining 70 not out would have raised his stature further,” he further said.
After the match, even Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya said that he would prefer to see his team showing more attacking intent in the middle overs, rather than leaving it till the 20th over to finish the chase.
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