‘Was expecting a little more…’: Ex-BCCI chief selector gives verdict on Shubman Gill’s performance in Zimbabwe

Shubman Gill impressed the former BCCI chief selector Saba Karim with his captaincy in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, but the talented opener lacked consistency as a batter. Gill was the leading run-getter in the series with 170 runs in five innings, but he failed to stamp his authority over the bowlers. He was the only Indian batter who got the chance to bat in all five matches; otherwise, players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad played more impactful knocks than him in lesser innings.

However, as a captain, Gill handled the team well after losing the first T20I and led them to a 4-1 series win in his first stint as Indian skipper.

Earlier, the talented Indian opener failed to make it to the squad for the T20 World Cup, but the selectors backed him as the future of Indian cricket and named him the captain in the first series after the glorious campaign in the USA and West Indies. The BCCI decided to give him a big chance to lead the side in the absence of other senior stars – Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah.

Karim, former BCCI chief selector, was impressed with Gill handling the pressure situations, but he pointed out the lack of consistency with the bat.

“Shubman Gill as a captain and a batter. I was expecting a little more consistency in Shubman Gill’s batting. That was a little lacking. However, he performed fantastically as a captain. Pressure mounts on any captain after losing the first match, and that too a young captain,” Karim said on Sony Sports.

Meanwhile, the former wicketkeeper batter also heaped praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal for picking up good form right from the first match he played in the series despite joining the team mid-tour.

“However, despite that, he got his players to rally splendidly. Jaiswal scoring runs. He didn’t get a chance in the World Cup. When you haven’t batted for a long time and haven’t played matches, it’s not easy to show form as soon as you come. However, we saw that,” Saba Karim elaborated.