Will Dominate World Cricket For Next Decade: Matthew Hayden Reserves Big Praise For 23-year-old GT Star
Will Dominate World Cricket For Next Decade: Matthew Hayden Hails 23-year-old GT Star
New Delhi: Gujarat Titans defeated Punjab Kings by 6 wickets in Mohali on Thursday to win their third match of the 2023 Indian Premier League, days after a heartbreaking defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders. Shubman Gill starred with the bat after Mohit Sharma had taken 2 for 18 off his 4 overs to restrict PBKS to 153 for 8 off their 20 overs. Gill slammed 67 runs off 49 balls, packed with seven fours and a six. Also, Rahul Tewatia and David Miller finished off the game for GT in the final over.
Speaking on Star Sports, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden heaped plenty of praise on Gill, who also hammered his second half-century of IPL 2023. “Gujarat Titans needed someone to take responsibility and bat deep in this run chase against a quality Punjab Kings bowling attack, and Shubman Gill did just that. Some of the shots that he played were pleasing to the eyes. He’s such a class player and he’s going to dominate world cricket for the next decade or so”, he said.
Speaking after the match vs PBKS, Gill said, “Wicket got a bit challenging in the end. Was harder to hit sixes with the old ball. It’s a big ground. Was important to keep hitting the gaps, run as hard as possible. I should’ve finished the match. Rahul Tewatia and Kings XI is a love story. In these type of games, there’s definitely pressure on both teams. It’s about trying to minimise dot balls.”
“It was difficult for them also to score runs against the old ball. Was important to have a good powerplay. We ticked that box. It wasn’t a big score. Was important to keep hitting the singles. He looked good in the nets also (Mohit). He has a good yorker. He bowled magnificently with the slower one, using the boundaries. Was a great GT debut for him,” he further added.
Gill is currently fifth in the IPL 2023 Orange Cap race with 183 runs in four matches, at an average of 45.75 and 141.86 strike rate.