Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif has hailed Shubman Gill as the best batter in India’s current Test lineup, while identifying him as a key wicket for Sri Lanka in the upcoming series. The opening game of the two-match series will begin on August 15 in Galle.
While Gill is yet to feature in a Test against Sri Lanka, speaking during a discussion on his YouTube channel (Mohammad Kaif), the 45-year-old lauded the Indian captain as the team’s No. 1 batter following Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket. He said:
“So, in this series as well, he (Shubman Gill) will be the biggest wicket for the Sri Lankan bowlers. Shubman Gill is the number one batter (In India’s current Test lineup) because Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are no longer there.”
Mohammad Kaif further noted that KL Rahul has emerged as one of the senior players in the current setup and has shown positive signs with his average in recent times. However, he opined that Gill has gone well ahead of the Karnataka batter, saying:
“KL Rahul has become one of the senior players, and his form has improved to some extent as well. However, his average is still around 30. He went to England, and after that, he also started scoring runs. Even then, his average is around 34, so he hasn’t made a huge jump. Shubman Gill, has made a significant jump. If we compare his batting with KL Rahul’s, Gill has gone well ahead of him in terms of runs.”
In 68 Tests, KL Rahul has scored 4,153 runs at an average of 36.42, with 20 fifties and 12 centuries. Meanwhile, Gill has amassed 2,969 runs in 41 games at an average of 44.31, with 11 centuries and eight fifties to his name.
“Has been setting records with the bat” – Mohammad Kaif’s huge praise for Shubman Gill
In the same video, Mohammad Kaif lauded Shubman Gill for his stunning performances since taking over as Test captain, stating:
“Since he became the Test captain, he has been setting records with the bat. I have no concerns about his batting. He went to England and scored around 900 runs overall, with back-to-back hundreds. He also became a player to score two centuries in a single match. So, he has done an outstanding job with the bat. His average was around 32, and now it has gone up to 44.”
In nine games as captain, the right-hander has amassed 1,076 runs at an average of 82.76, including six centuries and one fifty.
Edited by Dev Sharma