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'Every responsibility that he's shouldered has made him better. And to me, the best thing is, he's technically so sound that he makes it look so easy'
Impressed by Shubman Gill's range of strokes and technique, former players Sanjay Bangar and Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday earmarked the 25-year-old as the one who will lead the Indian team's batting for years to come.
Gill made a fluent 46 in India's six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday, following up his classy match-winning hundred in their tournament opener against Bangladesh.
"Clearly, he's the guy who is going to shoulder the responsibility of the Indian team going forward in years to come," Bangar said on JioHotstar.
Speaking about the 25-year-old's technique, Bangar said, "(His) foundations are really, really strong and add to that the confidence of nearly two-and-a-half years of performing in one-day cricket. In one-day cricket, he's been phenomenal."
"Now look, the straight drive, the on-drive are the shots wherein you cannot actually hit the ball really hard. But here, he was hitting the ball so hard that despite the mid-off and the mid-on fielder being on that 30-yard circle, the ball was going and hitting them. That's the kind of timing he possesses."
Sidhu was also full of praise for Gill, who has been enjoying a fine run of form in the 50-over format.
"Look, see, nothing grows under a banyan tree and the banyan tree of Indian cricket is basically Rohit Sharma and with him, Virat Kohli. But when you look at Shubman Gill, those two straight drives, even the blistering cover drive, this is like a blitzkrieg where the opposition is taken aback, you know, it's awe-inspiring," Sidhu said.
"This man has emerged from the shadows of that banyan tree and has come of age. It's tough to say that. You rate ability in men by what they finish, not by what they attempt. When you actually take your side through after scoring a hundred and don't throw your wicket, that responsibility is making you better.
"It is developing you; it's not ruining you. So, every responsibility that he's shouldered has made him better. And to me, the best thing is, he's technically so sound that he makes it look so easy," Sidhu added.