Shubman Gill: A Rare Talent Who Excels In All Format

Shubman Gill was calm and composed at his second press conference in India as captain of the Test match team. The 25-year-old young Turk from the Punjab plains was an unknown in Test cricket when named the captain of the five-Test series in England. The BCCI’s senior national selection committee zeroed in on him once Jasprit Bumrah conveyed to the BCCI and the selection committee that he will be available to play only in three Tests in England because of his nagging back. Gill surprised one and all with his solid and spectacular undertaking with the bat scoring 754 runs with four centuries including a double of 269 at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Much against the odds Gill went on to baulk the home team and return home with a praiseworthy 2-2 draw thus earning two full World Championship points winning at Edgbaston and the Oval. Gill, now 26, put an end to all talk about his captaincy and is all set for a long run, maybe across formats in the foreseeable future. At  the press conference room at the Narendra Stadium, Ahmedabad on Wednesday, Gill looked assured and careful with what he said fielding questions from the media. Familiar to the locals as captain of the Gujarat Titans team in the IPL, Gill will open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal and he will be eager to make his bat talk facing the West Indies attack that will be spearheaded by fast bowler Jayden Seales. Gill is a rare talent who has come good in Test cricket, one-day internationals and Twenty20. From tomorrow till mid-November, he will get four Tests to win the WTC points.