Dubai [UAE], February 21 : Shubman Gill is built for the long run, and even operating at just 60 per cent is enough for him to notch up a century--something he showcased in India's Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh. This is the view of Sanjay Manjrekar, who believes Gill exudes the presence of a player set to dominate for the next 10-15 years, unlike Shreyas Iyer, as per ESPNcricinfo.
"Gill looks like he is here for the long haul, Iyer doesn't," Manjrekar said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
"He [Gill] is batting at the right position to make a huge impact. When he gets a hundred, like today, it seems like there is plenty left in the tank," Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day.
"It was like 60 per cent of Shubman Gill is enough to get a hundred like this and he stays till the end. That is the difference between Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill that Gill will take you right till the end. He is somebody who you think is going to be around for 10-15 years. Shreyas Iyer, despite his obvious talent, doesn't give you that impression," he said.
Gill remained unbeaten on 101 off 129 balls, anchoring India's chase of 229 in Dubai. His innings, studded with nine fours and two sixes, ensured India crossed the finish line with six wickets in hand and 21 balls to spare. One of his sixes--a powerful front-foot pull off Tanzim Hasan in the ninth over--soared into the second tier at deep midwicket, showcasing his ability to take on the bowlers.
"Some of the shots he played, the good-length ball he hit and it went into second tier... the big game is at his beck and call," Manjrekar noted.
He said,"Can he be better in 50-over cricket as a batter? I don't think so, what can be better than this?"
Gill started aggressively alongside Rohit Sharma, racing to 26 off 23 balls with four boundaries and a six by the end of the powerplay. However, as Bangladesh introduced their spinners on a slow pitch with a well-placed field, he adapted his approach. His 50, coming off 69 balls, was his slowest in ODIs, and he reached his century in 125 balls--the slowest by an Indian batter since the 2019 World Cup. Manjrekar praised Gill's ability to adjust his tempo based on the match situation.
"He's got the class to do it [change gears]," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Former India legspinner Anil Kumble was particularly impressed by Gill's disciplined approach against spin. Facing offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz and legspinner Rishad Hossain, Gill managed just 34 runs off 56 balls, striking only one four. However, he rotated the strike efficiently, picking up 28 singles to keep the scoreboard moving.
"The other thing that was noticeable today was generally when he sees the offspinner he steps out and launches it over long-on, midwicket," Kumble said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
"He didn't want to take the risk perhaps because of the pitch. He felt that that was the riskier option. Although Miraz is someone he would take on - we have seen it even in Test match cricket. He was constantly looking to just ease through and ensure he was there till the end. That was very noticeable even when the [required] run rate dropped a little bit," he added.
"And also the ability to nick off singles, keep that scoreboard ticking. It is not that he plays the sweep shot a lot or the dab. He goes very traditional and loves to keep the bat straight. Even when he is playing the pull shot, the bat comes down very straight. A lot of his singles would be back-foot punches to long-on instead of playing just with soft hands. A guy who can get singles at will, can hit a six at will, has got a reasonably good defence for 50-over cricket, he's the complete player at the moment," Manjrekar said.
India briefly faced a scare when they slipped from 112 for 1 to 144 for 4 in the space of eight overs, but Gill remained composed, steering the team to victory--an effort that earned him high praise from Kumble.
"He's been brilliant, especially in this format. The elegance and the ease with which he got that hundred on a difficult pitch," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
"I don't think it was a true pitch where the ball was coming on nicely. It was on the slower side and you had to make adjustments, yet he was middling the ball and timing it so well," he added.
"The best part about Shubman Gill was he ensured he saw the game through. It was not like he wanted to get going, get runs [and get out], we have seen that before. That is the maturity he has brought into the game. Hope this is the start of a fantastic season for him and India, because when you play the first match in a tournament and you get a hundred not out and you are there till the end, it augurs well," he noted.