
For long, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul have been the backbone of the Indian batting line-up, especially in the white-ball formats. The trio's consistency has been second to none and have been vital to India's success. Recently, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was in awe of Shubman Gill -- who has been the Player-of-the-Series in India's last two ODI series -- after his recent heroics in the just-concluded Zimbabwe seriesand even compared him with Rohit, KL and Kohli.
Speaking to the Times of India after the conclusion of the India-Zimbabwe ODIs, in the African nation,Harbhajan was impressed with Gill'stechniqueand shot selection and stated that as a batsman he is definitely up with theVirat and Rohit -- two of India's finest batters in the modern era. In addition, he picked him as a potential captain.
“He’s a sorted batsman, who has a sound technique and very good shot selection. In terms of batsmanship, I would bracket him with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in the current Indian team. You love to watch them bat." He added, "For me, he’s a future India captain. He’s got the game, and he’ll learn about the captaincy. So, why not?."
Gill missed out on his maiden international century when he was stranded on 98 not out during the third and final ODI versus hosts West Indies during the Men in Blue's tour of the Caribbean Island in July-August. He ended with the Player-of-the-Series versus the Windies and returned with the same prize once again during the KL Rahul-led Indian team's three-match ODI series versus hosts Zimbabwe, which ended on Monday (August 22). However, this time around, Gill also managed to score his maiden international ton during the third ODI, where he returned with a stunning 97-ball 130.
Gill's consistency in the ODI format is a pleasing sign for Rohit-led Team India. Given he has already played some match-winning knocks in Tests, his rise in the shorter format keeps India in good stead ahead of next year's ODI World Cup at home.