CWC 2023: Shubman Gill full of praise for THIS key batter, says 'he gives players full freedom'

Star India batter Shubman Gill has opened up on the valuable presence of skipper Rohit Sharma at the top as they prepare for an important next three months for the national side. The Indian team is gearing up for the penultimate battle before the ODI World Cup as they prepare for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. Gill, who is expected to play a key role in the Indian team for both tournaments, highlighted the importance of Rohit before and how he has helped him enjoy his cricket.

Gill full of praise for Rohit

"It feels great to be able to open up with him, especially knowing that all the focus is on him. He's someone who likes the other batters to go and just express himself and play the way they want to play the game. So in that nature, he gives the players full freedom for how they want to express their game," Gill told ICC.

Gill has been in superb form in 2023, having scored eight hundreds in all tournaments including the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, it is with the national team where he has enjoyed the presence of skipper Rohit, who has helped him excel and enjoy his cricket. The talisman from Punjab has scored five international hundreds in 2023 while he scored a ton at the end of last year against Bangladesh.

Gill’s superb run of form

Gill has all but cemented his place in the Indian team and is expected to open the innings alongside Rohit in the Asia Cup and in the build-up to the ODI World Cup. Gill is the favoured batter to open along with Rohit, while Ishan Kishan is another option who can partner the Gujarat Titans man.

So far, in 27 ODIs for the national team, Gillhas scored 1437 runs for India with a best of 208 against New Zealand in January. He so far has four hundreds and six fifties with the national team and averages 62.47 in the format. Interestingly, he could join the likes of Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh to win both the U-19 and senior 50-over World Cups. Gill was the Player of the Tournament in 2018 when India won their fourth title at the junior level.

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