IPL 2018 | Jacques Kallis wants gradual growth for Shubman Gill
Kolkata Knight Riders coach Jacques Kallis insists that he does not want to throw Shubman Gill in the deep with high expectations but wants to see him grow gradually. Kallis also revealed he is highly impressed by the youngster and feels he has a bright future with the kind of maturity he possesses.
Shubman Gill first came into in the limelight after scoring a brilliant ton against Pakistan in the semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup. After being picked for 1.8 crores during the mega-auction by KKR, he has scored 129 runs in the 8 matches so far. Though his numbers remain impressive by no means, his unbeaten fifty against Chennai Super Kings got him huge appreciations from everyone and Kallis, in particular, has been very impressed by the youngster.
The former South African cricketer and KKR coach
“It’s been a slightly frustrating week in which we produced one of our best and most clinical performances of the competition and then followed it up with one of the most disappointing. There were so many aspects of the win against Chennai that were impressive but the calmness and clear-thinking really stood out for me,” Kallis wrote in Wednesday’s column for TOI.
“At the halfway point of their innings, it seemed highly likely that CSK would set a target of 200+ on a perfect batting wicket but the spinners pulled it back superbly, all three of them delivering dot balls and preventing boundaries at crucial times,” he further added.
Gill came to the crease when KKR were 40/2 and played a well-composed innings along with the skipper, Dinesh Karthik. KKR easily chased the target of 178 with 14 balls left, courtesy to an unbeaten 57 and 45 knocks from Gill and skipper Dinesh Karthik respectively. Kallis also mentioned that the management
“We also lost a couple of early wickets but, once again, we stayed calm and played clinical cricket. It gave an opportunity to Shubman Gill to bat higher up the order and he took it in some style. We were very clear in our management of his first experience in the IPL - we wanted to ease him in gradually rather than throw him into the deep end with great expectations,” the former South African all-rounder wrote.
“So by the time he walked out to bat at No.4 against Chennai in a match we really needed to win, he was not a rookie and knew exactly what to do. There is no shot or option he does not have as a batsman but his decision-making and ability to think clearly under pressure is equally impressive. He has a very bright future with a mature head on his shoulders,”
KKR’s 13-run loss against Mumbai Indians was a missed opportunity for KKR to further push their campaign towards the playoffs. And Kallis revealed that they should have won against Mumbai Indians.
“We had the opportunity to cement our place in the top four and really push hard for a top-two finish, against Mumbai, and we should have won the game. I believe it was a case of us losing it rather than Mumbai winning it,” Kallis mentioned.
They are currently on the 4th spot with five wins in 10 matches. It is crucial for them to win their next match against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday to claim their spot for the playoffs. However, the victory for KKR will close the door of playoffs for Mumbai Indians, who have to win all of their matches.
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