Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli (Source: AP Photos)
Shubman Gill was touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket since his U19 days and the batter is slowly but steadily living upto his billing. He has played across formats for India in the last few years and is now the vice-captain of the Indian ODI side. It is the format where he has excelled consistently, and in the first ODI against England, he once again displayed his class with a classy 87 off 96 balls.
The interesting thing is that the knock in the first ODI came at the number 3 position which is the one where Virat Kohli has been batting for more than a decade now. He has ruled the cricketing world with consistent performances, but the King is at the fag end of his career, and India would have to look at the options who can come close to the consistency of Kohli at number 3. Shubman Gill is one of the player who can take that spot and make his own for the next decade and here are the three strong reasons behind it.
3. Similar Batting Style Like Virat Kohli
In ODI Cricket, the number 3 batter is expected to play an anchor role and take the game deep and then accelerate when the team needs it. Virat Kohli has been doing that perfectly over the years with his ability to rotate the strike and find boundaries at crucial time. Shubman Gill is a similar kind of player who relies more on strike-rotation and finding gaps on the field rather than power-hitting.
- Consistency
- Ability To Anchor Innings
- Relies More On Strike-Rotation Than Power-Hitting
Shubman Gill also knows how to use the long handle to great effect and this great ability to deliver with mixture of aggression and patience, makes him a quality number 3 candidate. Also, just like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill has started off his ODI career with a bang, and has an average of 58.90 in 48 ODIs which includes six hundreds and 14 fifties and it is the kind of consistency that any successful ODI team needs from the number 3 batter.
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2. Good Record At Number 3 For India
Shubman Gill started off his Test career as an opener, but has now settled down at number 3. It was his own decision to bat at number 3 as he has been successful at that position in domestic cricket and he could follow similar route at the ODI level. His stats at that position in ODI cricket are also good as he has scored 266 runs in five ODIs at an average of 53.20 and strike-rate of 102.70.
Shubman Gill's Record At Number 3 In ODIs
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 266 | 53.20 | 102.70 | 1/1 |
The right-handed batter also has one century and one fifty to his name at number three in ODIs and his latest knock of 87 in the first ODI has reassured the world that he can succeed at that position. If we combine all his knocks at number 3 for India across formats, the batter has an average of 40.15 and has four hundreds and four fifties as well. So, he has the numbers and skills to excel and batting at number 3 in both the formats consistently will help him settle better at that position in future.
1. Gill's Number 3 Move Will Help India Accommodate Opening Stars
India is a country full of talent and at the moment, there are plenty of players vying for an opening spot in white-ball cricket. Shubman Gill is one young player who has cemented his spot among star cricketers, but if he continues to open, it would mean that the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad who are natural openers, would find it difficult to get consistent chances even when Rohit Sharma retires.
If Gill moves to number 3 after Rohit and Virat's retirement, Yashasvi Jaiswal can open with Abhishek Sharma or Ruturaj Gaikwad, and it would help India continue with their aggressive approach at the top of the order in white-ball cricket. Thus, all these factors make Shubman Gill a perfect long-term number 3 batter once Virat Kohli retires.
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 "Aashay Chopade")
