'Shubman Gill has done injustice to his talent': Ex-Pakistan skipper's harsh verdict on India star before AFG 3rd T20I
The former Pakistan skipper feels Shubman Gill has done injustice to his talent in the recent matches.
India's all-format batter Shubman Gill had to make way for opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in the series decider against Afghanistan on Sunday. Securing the No.3 batting position in Tests, Gill was earlier roped in as a makeshift T20I opener for the series opener. With Virat Kohli unavailable for selection due to personal reasons, India also missed the services of injured Jaiswal in the 1st T20I at Mohali. Opening the innings for the Men In Blue, Gill found himself on the receiving end as his ball-watching act paved the way for Afghanistan to dismiss Rohit Sharma for a duck.
Rohit was livid with Gill after the horrible mixup between the two openers. Following the dismissal of the Indian skipper, Gill tried to up the ante as the star batter smashed five fours inside the first powerplay. Though Gill looked in sublime touch, the opener failed to cash in on his start as he perished for 23 off 12 balls.
With India taking a 1-0 lead and hosting Afghanistan for the series decider in Indore, the hosts marked the returns of former skipper Kohli and youngster Jaiswal in the starting eleven. While Jaiswal replaced Gill, Kohli was roped in as India's No.3 batter for the 2nd T20I. At a time when Gill's T20I form is under the scanner, former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt has explained why the premier batter is finding it hard to deliver the goods.
'Shubman Gill has done an injustice to his talent'
"I think Shubman Gill has done an injustice to his talent in the last few games. He is too good a player and has too much skill for the kind of hurry that he has been showing. He scores 20-odd and then plays a loose shot. This is what he wasn't doing when he had a successful year. He just needs to bat and bat without doing anything special. He needs to realise that even if you are the best batter in the world, you can't play every ball on your own terms. You have to react to the ball instead of dictating it," Butt said.
Shubman Gill vs Yashasvi Jaiswal
Replacing Gill as Rohit's opening partner, southpaw Jaiswal strengthened his selection case by playing a match-winning knock against Afghanistan. Big-hitting Jaiswal smashed 68 off 34 balls to help India take an unassailable 2-0 lead over Afghanistan at Indore. Jaiswal is tipped to open the innings with Rohit in the third and final T20I of the series on Thursday.
