SHUBMAN GILL
When you read Shubman Gill’s numbers in the IPL 2020, they are very impressive. He made 440 runs in 14 matches at an average of 33.84 with 3 half-centuries with the best score of 70*. He hit 9 sixes and 44 fours as well. However, once your sight reaches the strike-rate column of the stats, the picture becomes clear, as to why Gill proved to be KKR’s biggest undoing.
Earlier with Sunil Narine or Chris Lynn at the top, KKR used to dominate the opposition in the powerplays, setting up the game for the likes of Rana and Gill in the middle order to take the team to a big total or chase down targets. Both Narine and Lynn had a terrific strike-rate at the top and it helped KKR a lot despite having no big-hitter until Russell came in at no.6.
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However, with Narine not firing and Lynn being released, Shubman Gill took over as the opener, but couldn’t force the pace in the first six overs. His strike-rate of 117.96 is criminally low for an opener, not only in the IPL but in T20 cricket when others are striking at well over the 130-140 mark. Gill used up valuable deliveries in his game as being the anchor while others batted around him.
But it meant that when he inevitably got out in 12th or 13th over, the overall score would still not be where it should have been to give the hitters a good launchpad. KKR must need to pair Gill with someone who takes advantage of the powerplays and even Shubman needs to work on his power-hitting because if he doesn’t, he wouldn’t be the all format opener Team India is looking for the next decade after the Rohit-Dhawan era.
