New Delhi: Shubman Gill has thrived under pressure and not bogged down by the weight of leadership, Gujarat Titans’ director of cricket Vikram Solanki has said.
Gill was appointed as the full-time skipper last year and in this edition has led from the front with 465 runs in 10 matches, including five half centuries at an average of 51.66 and a strike rate of over 162.
Gujarat are fourth on the standings with 14 points from 10 matches and take on Mumbai Indians in a crucial match at the Wankhede Stadium as the race for the play-offs spot heat up.
“As far as leadership is concerned, he’s really grown into the role of captaincy,” former England batter Solanki said on Monday.
“When you have somebody that is as gifted, as talented, as exceptional as Shubman is as a batsman, sometimes you might have concerns around whether the weight of leadership would bear heavy.
“I don’t think that’s been the case. You sometimes see that people thrive in those sort of responsibility roles and Shubman has certainly been that,” he said.
Apart from Gill, Gujarat has also been well served by his opening partner B Sai Sudharsan, who is the team’s leading run-scorer with 504 runs in 10 matches at 50.40 and a strike rate of 154.12 with five fifties.
“You can only credit them to their hard work, credit their success, credit their partnership to their hard work,” he said.
“There is the nuance that they are similar in terms of how they approach the game. They are fairly traditional in terms of how they set themselves up for the game. They have, at the very base, a solid technique and an understanding and appreciation for facing that new ball where you can have some movement.
“They’ve both, I suppose, opened the batting in red-ball cricket when your technique is challenged so they have served that sort of apprenticeship,” Solanki added.
Gujarat Titans are fourth on the standings with 14 points from 10 matches and take on Mumbai Indians in a crucial match at the Wankhede Stadium as the race for the IPL 2025 play-offs spot heat up. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
