Former Team India coach Gary Kirsten reckons that it's too soon to compare Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill with greats like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, given it's only the early days of his career. However, the former Proteas opener has a range of skills that marks him out to watch out for in the future.
Gill emerged as the highest run-getter in the 2023 edition, hitting 890 runs with three centuries in 17 matches at 59.33. The right-handed batter's 129 in Qualifier 2 against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium was also the highest individual score in the tournament.
Kirsten, batting coach of the Titans, believes Gill has the potential to play across formats. The 55-year-old also heaped praise on the youngster's work ethic, understanding the game, and professionalism towards his role.
"He is a young player who has incredible skill and determination to be one of the best players in the world. It would be unfair to compare him to Sachin and Virat so early in his journey. I believe he has the game to successfully play across all three formats for India. You don't often see that, these days, particularly as T20 cricket is developing and progressing so fast. First, his confidence and self- belief in knowing what he is capable of. Second is his work ethic and professionalism around how he prepares for the games. And finally, his game sense and how he puts a performance together with his skill sets," he told Cricbuzz.
Gary Kirtsten hails the quality of cricket in IPL 2023 final:
Reflecting on the nail-biting events of the IPL 2023 final, Kirsten said the Titans enjoyed a fantastic campaign, but stated how fickle the sport is, evident by the events in Ahmedabad.
"We had a great campaign and played good cricket throughout the tournament. The final was a fantastic game of cricket which highlighted the success of IPL 2023. In such a close match there is no guarantee who will win and that is why we all love sport. Both teams had great seasons and I was proud of the way we played cricket this IPL."
The Super Kings' fifth title win proved to be the joint-most in IPL history.
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