IPL 2019 | Happy with any batting position, says Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill has stated that he is happy to bat at any position for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. The batsman was under-par in the role of a floater throughout the tournament but scored his second fifty as an opener in Sunday’s encounter against Mumbai Indians.
The role of Shubman Gill as a floater in Kolkata Knight Riders was very much debated. The Punjab batsman had clearly not performed to his full potential, until the 39-ball-65 against Delhi Capitals on April 12. However, he once again came to bat at different positions in every match thereafter.
KKR had lost six matches on the trot while they were trying to find the right combination before finally realising that Gill would be more suited to bat with Chris Lynn. The young batsman smashed 76 in 45 deliveries against Mumbai Indians, which hugely powered KKR to a gargantuan total of 232. Nevertheless, the opener remarked that he was happy with any position he was asked to bat in.
“Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine have been doing well (as openers). Narine was giving good starts. So I was happy to get a chance and capitalise on that,” he said at the post-match press conference, reported PTI
The right-hander was ecstatic after what was his highest score in the Indian Premier League, especially because it helped the side to bring an end to its unwanted streak of losses.
“It’s one of the best knocks in this IPL, especially considering the situation that we had lost six matches in a row. We do all kinds of practice in various match-conditions. It was all about preparing the mindset and executing on the field,” the 19-year-old explained.
The highest run-scorer for India in the 2018 U-19 World Cup also had a decent IPL run in the previous year, as he notched up 203 runs at an average and strike rate of about 33 and 146 respectively. He played two ODI games for India too, and has a staggering average of 77 in the nine First Class games he has played, and reckoned that the exposure at such different levels has helped him perform well in the cash-rich league.
“We play so many matches at different levels. You start to gain confidence by doing well. So when you’re in a big league like IPL, you know you don’t have to prove anyone. I’ve already proved myself there. It’s all about continuing that,” he expressed.
Not only Lynn, but even Andre Russell was sent up the order to bat at number three on Sunday. KKR had got a fine start as they scored 89 runs in the first nine overs, followed by Chris Lynn’s dismissal in the next over. Gill had set his eyes well by then and was dealing in boundaries, whereas Russell was happy with singles. Gill got out in the 16th over, and the big-hitting all-rounder had only scored 24 in 18 balls before he took charge to smash 56 in the next 22 balls. The young batsman opened up about the side’s strategy.
“We had a good opening partnership maybe he was sent in to capitalise on that. I was set when Russell came in to bat. They were employing spinners after Lynn got out. So we decided that I take on the spinners. Then he will take chances after getting set. Setting up a good partnership was our priority at that stage,” he explained.
The Dinesh Karthik-led side, in a surprising move, went ahead with Robin Uthappa as an additional batsman. Gill explained that the move was in order to arrest their slide and get back to winning ways. He was also positive that the currently fifth-placed side would make it to the playoffs.
“It was about going all aggressive as we had back-up options. The (batting) support was important. We had lost six matches in a row so it was about returning to winning ways and carry on that run till the final,” he signed off.
The Kolkata based franchise will next take on Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians again in their remaining league games and would need to secure a win in both the matches in order to give themselves any chance.
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