"I would have never let him go had I been in KKR camp"- Virender Sehwag on Shubman Gill
Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag feels the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made a massive mistake by letting star opener Shubman Gill go to the Gujarat Titans (GT) before the IPL 2022 mega auction. He reckons Gill's potential world-class ability was visible during KKR days and that they should have retained him.
Venkatesh Iyer proved to be the star of KKR's run to the final of the IPL 2021 season, especially in the second half in the UAE. But Gill's strike rate was under the scanner and the Knight Riders decided to retain Iyer instead.
Shubman Gill's progress over the past 12 months could be a massive eye-opener for KKR as they can only look back on what could have been. Speaking to Cricbuzz, here's what Virender Sehwag had to say:
"Gill was like a rough diamond in KKR that needed to be polished. Just like Virat Kohli has been playing for RCB since the age of 19, Gill could have played for KKR for the next 10-15 years. I would have never let him go had I been in the KKR camp. They made an error of judgment in haste."
Former KKR star Manoj Tiwary was also present in the discussion and even he felt that KKR didn't give Gill any role clarity, which further made it tough for him to produce consistent performances. He opined:
"Questions were raised about his strike rate, but the way he played some shots, one always knew that he had what it takes to become a big hit. KKR could have conveyed the strike rate thing in a better way and could have guided him better, but they kept on tinkering with his batting position too."
Virender Sehwag disappointed with Shubman Gill's dismissal
Shubman Gill scored a cracking 63 runs off just 36 balls for GT against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opening game of IPL 2023. However, he failed to finish the game and was dismissed due to a rash shot.
Sehwag was a bit disappointed as he wanted Gill to finish the game and ensure GT faced no further hiccups. He stated:
"Just like Rohit Sharma loves to play at Eden Gardens and Sehwag loves to play in Melbourne, Shubman Gill loves to play in Ahmedabad. But I am disappointed with the way he threw his wicket. He should have scored a hundred, remained not out, and stamped his authority."
He further added:
"Even Gill himself will know his mistake. He has scored an ODI double-hundred, so he knows the value of big runs. He knows that if a big player like Virat Kohli can go through a rough patch, so can he, and that's why he will need to make the most of his stunning form."
Shubman Gill has started IPL 2023 with a bang and this could well prove to be a massive season with the bat for him.