Once touted as India’s next batting star, Shubman Gill has failed to cement his place in the national team in any of the three formats so far.
He started his Test career impressively on the 2020-21 tour of Australia but couldn’t sustain his brilliance in the next few series.
Gill, who also struggled with injuries lately, will now be seen in action in the IPL 2022 for Gujarat Titans. The right-hander is keen to do well in the cash-rich tournament to reclaim his place in India’s white-ball squad, especially in the shortest format keeping this year's ICC T20 World Cup in mind.
While Shubman’s last ODI appearance was against Australia back in December 2020, he is yet to make his T20I debut.
"It is because I feel as a player what's most important for me is to do my job well for the team (Gujarat Titans) and I think if I am able to do well, then it is also doing well for myself. And if we (GT) go on to play the play-offs and reach the final, I might get a chance to play for India in WT20," Gill told PTI.
Before joining Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill was associated with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2018 to 2021. He impressed one and all in his very first season, scoring 203 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 146.04.
However, Gill drew criticism in the last two seasons for his poor conversion rate and low strike rate. Overall, he played 58 matches for KKR, amassing 1417 runs at a strike rate of 123.00 with 10 half-centuries.
But the 22-year old isn’t worried about the criticism because he wants to play the situation rather going after the bowlers from the outset.
"I feel you have to close yourself from all the critics and do what the team wants from you. As a player, I should be able to play in any given situation. If my team wants me to bat at 160, 180 or even 200 strike rate, I should be able to do that.
"But if my team wants me to soak in the pressure in a tough situation and wants me to go at 110 strike-rate, I should be able to do that as well, being flexible in all situations. As long as I am able to do that I am really happy and not focus on what people have to say," Gill added.
Shubman Gill was one of the three pre-auction picks for the Titans alongside Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan. The franchise secured his services for INR 8 crore.
(With PTI inputs)
