New Delhi: India’s star batter Shubman Gill has once again proven his mettle in the One Day International (ODI) format, playing a match-winning knock against the West Indies. In the first ODI of the ongoing series, the right-handed batsman smashed a brilliant century, scoring a flawless 110. Partnering with seasoned campaigner Virat Kohli, Gill stitched a formidable 151-run stand off just 132 deliveries, guiding India to a comfortable victory.
Following this stellar performance, praises have been pouring in for the young captain and batter. However, veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made an interesting observation, stating that despite his tremendous achievements, Gill is actually “unlucky”.
Explaining his stance, Ashwin pointed out that Gill possesses exceptional skills and a solid temperament tailored perfectly for 50-over cricket. Unfortunately for the young star, the relevance and frequency of ODI matches are steadily declining in the modern international cricketing calendar. Ashwin expressed concern that with fewer ODIs being scheduled, Gill will be deprived of the opportunity to play enough games to reach anywhere close to the phenomenal records set by Virat Kohli.
During his analysis, Ashwin highly praised Gill’s impeccable shot selection and technique, emphasising that he is currently the only batter who looks closest to Kohli in terms of overall batting prowess and consistency.
Gill’s statistics in the 50-over format heavily back Ashwin’s claims. The elegant Indian opener recently became the fastest Indian player to register 10 ODI centuries, achieving the milestone in just 67 innings. On a global scale, he ranks third on this elite list, sitting right behind South African legends Hashim Amla (57 innings) and Quinton de Kock (55 innings).
His overall ODI career numbers are nothing short of phenomenal. In just 68 matches, the batter has amassed 3,489 runs at a staggering average of 60.16. With 10 centuries and 20 half-centuries under his belt, he operates at an impressive strike rate of around 101.
While Gill continues to dominate the 50-over format, the shifting focus of world cricket towards franchise T20 leagues might indeed be the biggest barrier stopping him from cementing a statistical legacy as grand as his predecessors.