Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) youngster Shubman Gill is just 21 and he has already shown enough potential to be India's future star. Not to forget, India captain Virat Kohli had complimented him by saying Gill has more talent than he had at his age.
Gill is among the players to watch out in IPL 2020, and there are chances he may open for KKR. Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, the youngster talked about his role in the upcoming season. Shubman also shared the quality of Brendon McCullum which captivates him and he wants to acquire.
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“My role will be the same as what I did at the end of last season when I was opening... To guide the whole innings till the end. That would be my role if I open and neither will it change if I open with a conventional batsman or a [pinch-hitter like] Narine. I don’t think [being the senior opener] will really change my batting mindset, “ Gill told ESPNcricinfo.
Gill has experience of batting in the middle order for KKR and it was a good learning phase for him. “It was a game-changing experience for me because I’ve never batted that [low] down the order,” he said. “It really helped me grow as a batsman if I look at it that way because it helped me look at the game from different angles and understand different aspects of the game.”
The 21-year-old is already a part of KKR's leadership group which shows the franchise is seeing him as a long-term player for them.
“It feels good to be a part of the leadership group,” Gill said. “Having said that, I think my responsibility would be to the voice of the people who have just come in. The youngsters who have just come in will be feeling shy and conservative. My responsibility would be to be their voice and to help them go about their things.”
“Calmness [is an important leadership trait] and to be able to see the match from different angles [is another],” Gill said. “Just not from a single point of view, but to see how the opposite team is viewing the match is also one of the key traits."
Talking about Brendon McCullum's quality which he would love to pick up, he said, “The mindset that Eoin Morgan and Brendon McCullum possess is something that’s really unique. If you look at Brendon, the way he captained New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup was really fantastic to see. And how he goes about planning things is what I want to pick up.”
(With ESPNcricinfo Inputs)
