‘Unfair’ to compare Shubman Gill with Kohli and Sachin, believes former India coach

Former India and current Gujarat Titans (GT) coach Gary Kirsten said in an interview with Cricbuzz that it is unfair to compare Shubman Gill with Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli so early in his career. Kirsten has worked with Tendulkar and Kohli both when he was India’s coach and even led the Indian side to their second ODI World Cup Trophy in 2011. The South African is currently working with Shubman Gill at GT and gave his opinion on Gill’s performance this IPL season, the upcoming World Test Championship Final against Australia, and the young opener’s future.

On being asked if Gill is in the same league as the two other legends of Indian cricket, Kirsten said, “He is a young player who has incredible skill and determination to be one of the best players in the world. It would be unfair to compare him to Sachin and Virat so early in his journey.”

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Kirsten’s advice to Gill ahead of WTC Final

“Shubman has all the credentials to become a great player for India, across all the formats. Like any player, he will be met with challenges and obstacles; how he handles those and keeps progressing will ultimately determine his long-term success. I would encourage him to keep learning and to engage with those who can offer him trusted counsel.” said the former opener when he was asked if Gill could extend his IPL 2023 form to the WTC Final and what his advice would be to the opener going into the match.

Gill had an extraordinary time with the bat this year; in the nine ODIs he’s played this year, he has made 624 runs at an average of 78, including a double century and two centuries to his name. In the IPL, the opener scored 890 runs, averaging close to 60 and striking the ball at 158. Gill came close to breaking the record for most runs in an IPL season but ultimately fell short of Virat Kohli’s record of 973 runs.

Shubman Gill is the future of Indian Cricket

“I believe he has the game to successfully play across all three formats for India. You don’t often see that these days, particularly as T20 cricket is developing and progressing so fast,” said the GT coach when asked if Gill is the next big thing in Indian cricket, following in the footsteps of Virat Kohli, like Kohli followed Sachin Tendulkar’s steps.

“I think he has the potential to become a leader. He has a good knowledge and understanding of the game and he gets on well with his teammates.“, Kirsten identifies Gill as a future Indian captain after working this him and working with the youngster up-close.