Shubman Gill was destined for the opener’s slot, a position he slowly but surely made his own in the six innings he played Down Under for the national cricket team. In those many innings, the 21-year-old scored 259 runs at an average of 51.80, thereby making a strong case for himself as a frontline batsman.
An opener from the start
Batting higher up the order comes naturally for Gill, a position where he has scored heavily for his state (Punjab) in first-class and List-A cricket. Gill, who enjoyed phenomenal success in 2018, was voted player of the tournament as India won the ICC Under 19 World Cup. Following up on his success, he went to record a string of big scores in first-class cricket.
However, it was in the 2018-’19 Ranji season that he truly blossomed as an opener. Hitting a purple patch, he scored his runs almost at a Bradmanseque average with a top score of 268 against Tamil Nadu.