Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) veteran Robin Uthappa spoke very highly of his teammate Shubman Gill on Tuesday (March 19) and he believes that the young "prodigious" batting talent Gill will once again deliver the goods for the two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions this year.
Gill made his IPL debut in the 2018 season where he amassed 203 runs in 13 matches at an average of 33.83, including two very fine half-centuries. The 19-year-old batted mostly at the closing stages of an innings for KKR and yet, did the tough middle-order job quite successfully.
"Shubman has got a very level head on his shoulders and is very sorted in his mind, he knows what he wants to do and how he wants to approach his game," Uthappa told India Today. "He's a hard-working lad and is someone who is willing to put in the hard yards. He is someone who knows he is talented, is probably a prodigy and the next big thing in Indian cricket but he still has a very firm head on his shoulders."
"He is a very humble kid, very well brought up. A lot of credit must be given to his parents. Coming from that part of the country and to be able to be that humble and that aware of himself at that age is fantastic."
The other youngster whose rise not just Uthappa but Indian Cricket remains proud of is wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has transitioned from being just another cricketer for an IPL franchise to one of the most successful players for the country across all international formats.
"Kuldeep is someone who has evolved over the last five-six years as a bowler and as a human being," he added. "Someone who has really worked on his fitness. He was one of the hardest working members in the group when he was not playing during the IPL."
"As a bowler, he's become braver and become more courageous as a bowler. He's really come into his own as a bowler and I think over the next few years we will see him expressing himself as a human being on the field. It's an exciting few years for Kuldeep and he's going to be a mainstay within the Indian team," Uthappa signed off.
Kolkata Knight Riders will play their first IPL 2019 game at home against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 24, a day later to when the tournament begins with an encounter between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
