Shubman Gill is well equipped to play against any team and in any condition: Abhishek Nayar

That clarion call was coming, albeit it did take some time, but on Sunday it fructified – Shubman Gill earned his maiden call-up to the senior Indian team after he was included in the ODI and Twenty20 International squad for the New Zealand tour. (ALSO READ: Vijay Shankar, Shubman Gill named replacements for Pandya, Rahul)

Fancy the 19-year-old Gill’s scores this Ranji Trophy 2018-19 season – 56, 54*, 62, 268, 10, 148, 24, 69*, 91, 8 – that’s a whopping 790 runs coming in 12 innings at an average of 65.83.

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Gill, who was named in the squad at the expense of the suspended KL Rahul, grabbed eyeballs for his exploits in last year’s ICC U-19 World Cup in New Zealand where he was named the Player of the Tournament as the Prithvi Shaw-led colts won the title for a record fourth time. The Punjab willow wielder finished the biennial event as India’s leading run-getter with 372 runs in five innings at a stunning average of 124.00 and a strike rate of 112.

His meteoric rise continued as he subsequently bagged a lucrative contract with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). According to KKR’s Mentor, Abhishek Nayar, Gill’s ready for the big league, although he expected this call a year ago. (ALSO READ: All you need to know about Shubman Gill)

“Yes, I thought he was ready a year ago. This is just something that was going to happen at some point, so, it’s a terrific decision and I feel he will do justice to the call-up,” Nayar tells CricketCountry on Sunday.

In the IPL, Gill has featured in 11 innings and has accumulated 203 runs at an average of 33.83 with a strike-rate of 146.06. Nayar, known to have successfully revamped India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik’s technique, believes Gill is well equipped with his own game and understanding.

“When you look at a player, you look at a lot of aspects in terms of his technique, mindset, how well he prepares, how well he adapts to different situations. I felt that in the little time I have spent with him through KKR, and post that in a couple of camps, he is someone who is very well equipped with his own game,” the former Mumbai allrounder explains. (ALSO READ: I have full confidence that I can finish close matches: Vijay Shankar)

“He is not someone who is worried about speed. At times, a lot of players do well in domestic cricket, but they struggle to cope up against speed, but Shubman is certainly someone who has a lot of talent facing someone who is bowling 145kmph-plus. I feel that is one of his biggest gifts.”

Gill’s batting has even impressed his Punjab veteran and India allrounder Yuvraj Singh, who endorsed his team-mate’s skills and said that the youngster is an exciting prospect for India and should play post the ICC World Cup 2019. (ALSO READ: Shubman Gill is someone who can represent India for a long time: Yuvraj Singh)

“Shubman is someone who has understood the best way of scoring runs and he has always backed that. When you watch him bat, you will always feel that there is a very simple strategy that he has, and he doesn’t complicate it too much,” Nayar says.

“There’s nothing exceptionally flamboyant about the way he plays, but you can see a lot of class and determination also when he does that. In all conditions, I am very certain, he’s well equipped to play against any team in any condition and against any bowler. A lot of times, you worry about swing and you worry about technique, I don’t think you will find a lot of technical glitches in his batting when he plays.”