Always good when captain backs young players, says Shubman Gill

Gill also responded to the compliment he received from Rohit Sharma.

Shubman Gill | GettyHe might be only 20 but Shubman Gill has already being touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket.

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Recently, India’s limited-overs deputy Rohit Sharma called him the “future” while skipper Virat Kohli had earlier complimented the Punjab batsman, saying he wasn’t even 10 per cent of what Gill is when he was a teenager.

Having drawn such praising words from Rohit and Kohli, any youngster can feel the pressure of expectations. But Shubman remains unperturbed by it all.

“Yes, it always feels good when someone like Rohit Sharma says that. I don’t feel any added pressure because that’s how I am. I don’t feel any pressure when one compliments me or if someone is critical,” he told IANS.

Gill likes to express himself on the field and luckily he has a captain in Kohli, who wants his troops to go out and be their natural selves.

“Yes, it’s definitely an advantage when your captain wants you to go all in and there is no pressure. You won’t feel that there is one per cent of your game that would be left when you are on the field so it’s always good for the young players when the captain backs you,” Shubman added.

Asked if he has got the chance to discuss batting with Virat, Gill said: “I have interacted with him a couple of times. He just tells me to keep doing stuff that I am already doing and to have consistency on the field. Consistency is an important factor.”

Under normal circumstances, Shubman Gill would have played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) but the COVID-19 outbreak forced the BCCI to suspend the cash-rich event indefinitely.

Recently, the BCCI hinted at holding the IPL 2020 in October-November window if the T20 World Cup, which is slated to be held in Australia during those months, did not go ahead due to the deadly epidemic.

After being away from the games for months, Gill can’t wait to play the IPL.

“Yes, that’s one more reason I am looking forward to playing the IPL (lockdown and suspension of cricketing action). But I think this time all the players would be more motivated than ever because it was a long break and coming back from the break everyone would want to make an impression.

“Also, earlier when we used to come to the IPL, there was a lot of cricket going on before that. But this time, players would be fresh and keen to get on with it,” he said.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 26 May, 2020

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