India opener Shubman Gill has got an admirer in former head coach Ravi Shastri who feels the young batter has something "regal about him".
Gill has been in good touch in the ongoing ODI series. He scored 50 runs in the first match on Thursday and came up with an unbeaten 45 in the washed-out second game on Saturday.
"It is great to watch him play. There is something regal about him. He is a quality player and he's going to be around for a long time (decade's time)," Shastri said on Prime Video, the official broadcaster of the series. "He has a good work ethic, he trains hard, he's hungry and he loves this game. He will continue to play because his grooming is good, he is always grounded."
The 23-year-old Gill has played 14 ODIs since making his debut in 2019 with 674 runs at an average of 61.27. He has also featured in 11 Tests and scored 579 runs. Talking about Gill's performance on Sunday, Shastri said,"His emphasis today was in the timing of the ball. Sometimes when you are out of your depth, you want to get on with it by trying to hit the ball hard. He was in good control with good footwork."
Former India women's team captain Anjum Chopra also praised Gill for his impressive rise in white ball cricket.
"Shubman's strike rate has improved in international cricket. He is averaging a healthy 70 plus in international cricket so, you are looking at a player who is developing. While Suryakumar Yadav is going the way he does, let's not forget Gill, because he has found how he wants to play in international cricket," Chopra said.
"Let him (Gill) become a more traditional player of ODIs and Test match level as well but T20I is a game he is very close to. This style of play that he has shown in the first one day international and then the second one day international, both have been very calm, composed yet impactful."
