When Prithvi Shaw shines, Shubman Gill fades

For two of India's brightest opening options - Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill - success never seems to come together.

Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw were the brightest talents from the 2018 India U19 class. Gill top scored in that World Cup and Shaw led the team to victory. Together, they were marked as India material even before the youth world title had been won. Three years hence, both have Test caps to their name. Yet, there hasn’t been an occasion since that World Cup where both would experience success together.

Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill

Take Gill’s poor run for Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing IPL (89 runs in 6 matches) which has coincided with Shaw showing a resurgence in form for Delhi Capitals (166 runs in 5 matches). Last year when Gill impressed on Test debut on Boxing Day in Melbourne, Shaw was licking his wounds in the same change room, after being exposed ruthlessly by the Aussie pacers.

Gill remains India’s incumbent Test opener, even as Shaw is methodically working his way back into contention. But the Mumbai bomber is currently finding more joy in the IPL bio bubble than the Punjab run machine. Gill’s problems are less technical, more entwined in T20 cricket’s demands of power-hitting. Caught on the crease against Mohammed Shami on Monday, caught at third man on another day, holing out at mid-wicket after mis-judging a slower ball in one match, Gill’s dismissals have all come in the quest for faster run scoring. For someone who consistently amazes with his stroke play, Gill is a perfect example of a class player overwhelmed by the strike rate chorus. It hasn’t helped Gill that along with him (SR 120.27), his partner Nitish Rana (SR 122.36) hasn’t been able to break free in the powerplay either. With KKR having more attacking options to open like Rahul Tripathi and Sunil Narine, Gill may be feeling the heat. When pricked by a trolling fan on social media before the start of the tournament, Gill couldn’t resist a repartee. “I am right where I want to be, Mr. Nobody.” Some of that edginess can be seen in the performances.

Last year when Gill had his most productive IPL with 440 runs, his scoring rate as an opener (117.96) was still an issue. A change in batting position could be in the offing, but the KKR brains trust continues to think highly of him. “Mark my words, he will be one of the highest-scoring batsmen by the end of the tournament. He is an absolute class act," KKR mentor David Hussey said last week.

Shaw, a naturally more aggressive opener, has hit top gear for Capitals, picking up from a hugely successful domestic season. Combining to great effect with Shikhar Dhawan, the duo have scored at 8.6 runs per over in the powerplay. Shaw has been batting with a career high IPL strike rate of 159.61. The yawning bat-pad gap resulting out of his high back lift is now history, and crunchy drives and cuts have become more common. Both Gill and Shaw are tipped to be the showstoppers of the new decade, but for now they are sparkling intermittently.