OPINION: Gill is playing ODI with test mindset, new life in Shubman’s batting due to changed game plan

New Delhi. Opinion is divided regarding Shubman Gill’s 50 over (ODI) form. People have raised questions on his ability to lead the team from the front, and in the last few months he has also faced trolling on social media. However, this has not affected Gill in any way. Just as he played the responsibility during India’s five-Test tour of England last year, in the same way he has looked in complete control against Afghanistan in this series too. With style, patience and excellent skills, Gill is slowly establishing himself in the ODI team, which is a good sign for India 15 months before the 2027 World Cup.

It is true that after assuming the captaincy, Gill’s performance in this format has not been very special. Barring one or two matches, his performance has been average. Also, being the captain of India in Test cricket, the question also arises whether putting more responsibility on him is affecting his consistency. Immediately after playing the IPL final, he is now captaining the team in this series, so it is important to pay attention to his workload management. Ultimately what matters in the game is performance and that will decide Gill’s future. At present, he seems to be returning to his best form, where he is hardly making any mistakes. This is similar to his IPL season, in which he scored a lot of runs with an excellent strike rate.

Gill’s template in ODI cricket

India does not yet have any fixed template in ODIs, hence the Afghanistan series was very important for Gill. He is the future of India in Test cricket and is well established in leadership, but ODI cricket is a little different. In this format, he had not yet done anything that could give him a distinct identity, and players like Yashasvi Jaiswal are waiting for the opportunity. His innings of 154 runs will probably clear things up now. The expectation from a captain is that he should appear in control, so that he, along with Gautam Gambhir, can form a strong team for the World Cup.

The answer to trolling is batting.

Despite this brilliant innings, Gill is facing criticism on social media. It seems that some fans do not want to see him doing well. If you praise them, you are called “PR”. This is beyond comprehension, but the truth is that Gill is one of the most trolled players even without any fault. It is possible that the fan clubs of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and other legends see him as a threat. They feel that Gill is the future and will one day replace these giants, hence he is often targeted. Till now all this has not had any effect on Gill, rather he has kept getting better. His inning of 154 runs is proof that he is moving in the right direction both for himself and for India.