Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has sparked a new debate by suggesting that Shubman Gill, the skipper of Gujarat Titans (GT), is lucky to be included in the travelling reserves for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Gill, who did not make it to the 15-man squad, has been overshadowed by another young talent, Yashasvi Jaiswal, for the opening slot.
Sehwag emphasized the importance of Gill focusing on scoring more runs to secure his place in the team in the future. He pointed out that players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman never gave selectors a reason to drop them because they consistently scored runs.
Gill, who was the Orange Cap winner last season, has struggled in the ongoing IPL season, managing to score only 322 runs in 11 matches. Sehwag advised Gill to improve his skills and aim for big scores to secure his position in the team.
The young cricketer’s team, Gujarat Titans, has also been facing a tough season in IPL 2024, currently sitting at the ninth position in the points table with eight points from 11 matches. With back-to-back defeats against RCB, Gill’s team is struggling to find its footing in the tournament.
Sehwag’s comments have reignited the debate on strike rates and consistency in modern-day cricket, urging young players like Gill to focus on their performance to secure a spot in the national team. It remains to be seen how Gill responds to this advice and whether he can turn his form around in the remaining matches of the IPL season.