IPL 2023: Opener Shubman Gill wants to be a finisher for Gujarat Titans | Cricket News – Times of India

With 183 runs from four matches including two half-centuries, Gill is Gujarat’s most prolific batsman this season, and fifth in the list of leading scorers.
Gill made 67 on Thursday before falling in the final over as defending champions Gujarat beat Punjab by six wickets.
IPL 2023 SCHEDULE | IPL 2023 POINTS TABLE
“I feel I should have finished the match,” Gill, who went for a boundary only to be bowled by Sam Curran, said after Gujarat’s third win in four matches.
“The wicket got tougher towards the end. It was difficult to score boundaries.”
The elegant right-hander has emerged as an all-format player for India and his seven international hundreds include a stellar 208 in a one-day international against New Zealand in January.

Gill’s unbeaten 126 off 63 balls against New Zealand in February is the highest individual score in a T20 International by an Indian batter.
Former Test batsman Sanjay Manjrekar said Gill should develop himself into a finisher, following in the examples of former India captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
“That’s how you become a great batsman,” Manjrekar told Cricinfo website.
“You’ve got all the talent. I mean, the guy drives off the front foot and then pulls with such authority.”
“But the Virat Kohlis and Mahendra Singh Dhonis are great T20 batters because they stay there till the end and finish the game.”
“That’s a next step for him, because this was the match when he could have maybe grown in stature a little more by staying unbeaten.”

Gujarat face 2008 champions Rajasthan Royals in their next game on Sunday.
Meanwhile, legendary Australian opener Matthew Hayden feels that with a penchant for making big scores, the supremely gifted Gill is set to dominate world cricket for the next decade.
Hayden is one of the many to have been impressed by Gill’s ability to control the proceedings.

Speaking to Star Sports, Hayden said, “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.”
From GT’s point of view, it was extremely important that Gill stayed on till the end, especially after the dismissal of captain Hardik Pandya with the team still 48 runs away from victory in 34 balls.

Gill’s innings contained seven fours and a six.
In what looked like an easy run chase for a star-studded Gujarat Titans batting line-up, the defending champions faced a late scare in Mohali.
However, the ‘ice cool’ Rahul Tewatia and seasoned campaigner David Miller finished the game for their team with a ball to spare.

This was Gill’s second fifty of IPL 2023.
(With agencies inputs)