Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan feels that in-form Shubman Gill has a great present and future for Men in Blue. The youngster has been in sublime touch in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy. Gill started the eight-team spectacle with an unbeaten century against Bangladesh, while in the clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, he played a knock of 46 runs. With 147 runs in two matches, he is the top scorer for India ahead of Virat Kohli (122 runs).
“I simply love Shubman Gill’s batting, it’s very classy and there’s elegance in his batting. And there’s consistency; it feels good to see that there’s so much professionalism. There are young boys, they know how to play their role well and are making back-to-back runs. He’s got a great present and future for India,” Dhawan said on Star Sports.
“Rohit enjoys playing with youngsters and he must be sharing his many years of experience with them. I’m sure he must be patting them (on the back) and telling them how to play in given situations. These small communications are very important,” he added.
Despite being short on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Dhawan said his absence will be felt but added that it is a big opportunity for Harshit Rana to cement his place in the ODI side. Rana picked four wickets in the tournament so far.
“Jasprit Bumrah is a very big name, a very big bowler. He is such a consistent performer there. Of course, his presence was missed a lot. Whether anybody says anything or not, I feel 100 % that his presence is very important. It is a very good platform for Harshit Rana. He has passion and aggression, and I like the way he picks up wickets. Great opportunity for him, there’s Rohit’s guidance, and Virat as well. He should learn from them and hold on to this opportunity,” the former opener said.
After sealing the semi-final spot on the back of consecutive wins against Bangladesh and Pakistan in Group A, India will take on New Zealand in their final group fixture against New Zealand on March 2.
