(AFP Photo)
Former BCCI selector Saba Karim has expressed mixed feelings about Shubman Gill’s performance during India’s recent tour of Zimbabwe. Leading a young team in the five-match T20I series, Gill showcased strong leadership qualities as India clinched the series 4-1 after an initial setback in the first match.
While praising Gill’s captaincy skills, Karim noted some inconsistency in Gill’s batting displays. Despite emerging as the top scorer for his team in the series, Gill’s batting seemed to fluctuate. Across all five T20Is, Gill accumulated 170 runs at an impressive average of 42.50 and a strike rate of 125.93.
“Shubman Gill as a captain and a batter. I was expecting a little more consistency in Shubman Gill’s batting. That was a little lacking. However, he performed fantastically as a captain,” Saba Karim said on Sony Sports, as quoted by Times of India.
However, the former India cricketer praised Shubman Gill for his leadership qualities, especially under pressure after losing the first match of the series. “Pressure mounts on any captain after losing the first match, especially a young captain. He rallied his players splendidly,” Karim remarked.
Turning his attention to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karim highlighted the young batsman’s performance. Despite being part of India’s T20 World Cup squad, Jaiswal did not get a chance to play as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opened the innings for the eventual champions.
In the Zimbabwe series, Jaiswal partnered with Gill as the opening batsman in the last three T20Is. The left-hander emerged as the second-highest scorer for India, accumulating 141 runs at an impressive average of over 70.
“Jaiswal scoring runs. He didn’t get a chance in the World Cup. When you haven’t batted for a long time and haven’t played matches, it’s not easy to show form as soon as you come. However, we saw that,” Saba Karim explained, highlighting his unbeaten 93-run knock in the fourth T20I against Zimbabwe.
The remaining two top-order batsmen, Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad, showcased impressive form throughout the Zimbabwe tour. Sharma had a challenging start, getting out for a duck in his T20I debut. However, he swiftly recovered by smashing a century in the following game, demonstrating his resilience and batting prowess.
Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad played crucial roles batting at positions 3 and 4 during the series. Across four matches, he accumulated a total of 133 runs, consistently contributing to India’s success with his steady performances at the crease.
