IPL 2024, GT vs PBKS - Shubman Gill, A Master Of the Modern Art

Shubman Gill during his knock vs PBKS [iplt20.com]Shubman Gill during his knock vs PBKS [iplt20.com]

The Gujarat Titans and the Punjab Kings are playing against each other in the 17th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). The game is being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 

Punjab Kings won the toss and invited GT to bat first. The leader of the pack for GT, Shubman Gill, stood at the helm of their batting effort and took the team to an above-par total of 199/4 in their 20 overs. While Gill stayed put at one end, the other batters batted around him, pushing the total to a formidable number that would prove to be a real challenge for PBKS. 


Analysis of Shubman Gill's 89 vs PBKS

Gill's masterful innings, where he carried his bat and scored 89 runs off 48 balls, was a strategic masterpiece. It perfectly exemplifies how an anchor should approach a T20 innings. The Indian batter, who was already in great touch in the previous season, has now firmly established himself as a master of T20 batting. Let's delve into the strategic brilliance of Gill's knock in each phase of the game. 

Shubman Gill's innings phase wise innings progression [OneCricket]Shubman Gill's innings phase wise innings progression [OneCricket]

The figure shows that Gill was upto the task and fully used the field restrictions in the powerplay. However, a drop in the strike rate in the middle overs suggests that, at this stage, he was looking to solidify the start he got and rotated the strike. In the final phase of the innings, he increased his strike rate to over 200 to provide a solid finish to the team. 

This knock by Gill is a perfect example of an anchor who would stay at one end and let the other play around him. The biggest positive of Gill's role was his strike rate. He never let it drop below 140 and ensured that the runs kept coming from his end, releasing the pressure from the new batter who went into the crease.