England spinner Adil Rashid, speaking during the “Beard Before Wicket” podcast, remarked that Indian Test captain Shubman Gill has matched Virat Kohli’s tally of Test centuries at the age of 25. His comments came during the ongoing five-match Test series between England and India.
While England took the lead with a win in the first Test at Leeds, India responded strongly with a commanding 336-run victory in the second Test at Birmingham. Rashid further noted that Gill is well-accustomed to handling pressure, given his experience of playing in India and the IPL.
“He’s got the potential already. I’ve seen a stat, he’s 25 but he’s on par with Kohli already, when he was 25, in terms of centuries. Growing up in India, he’s got to be used to that pressure in the IPL and playing in India. He’s got that already in him. I think he’ll thrive under that pressure and it shows,” Rashid said. (5:39)
England batter Dawid Malan believes that Shubman Gill’s experience of leading Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL and managing the intense pressure of the tournament will prove beneficial in his role as India’s captain.
“To captain an IPL team. He’s taken over and to be able to captain, to deal with pressure of franchise cricket, with owners who have opinions on teams, your own performances.”
“They spend a lot of money on the team and want the team to be performing. That will help him captaining India. Someone like Shubman Gill, having that experience and to deal with pressure, expectations, and big names, that would put him in a really good space to captain India,” Malan said.
Adil Rashid Applauds Shubman Gill’s Impressive Technique
Adil Rashid also commended Shubman Gill for his ability to adjust to different conditions and modify his batting accordingly. He mentioned that Gill possesses the right mindset to keep improving and has the potential to become one of the best.
“He’s played in England before. But look at the changes he made technically. The changes he’s made to adapt to these conditions. He was getting bowled and LBW a lot before but that in itself shows his determination to get better but also to become the best. I think a lot goes to his upbringing as well where he’s played in India and what they instill in them in terms of cricket, how they really drill in,” Rashid said. (1:16)
“One thing is having that hunger but also having that thing of wanting to improve and become the best. He has that mindset. You have to adapt to certain conditions and play differently and so far he is doing that,” Adil added.
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