“If you are taking it till the end, show temperament like Dhoni and don’t get out” - Sanjay Manjrekar’s advice to Shubman Gill

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar has advised Shubman Gill to learn from his dismissal in the game against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and finish matches in the future. Citing the example of MS Dhoni, he said that if a batter decides to take the game deep, it’s his responsibility to finish off the match.

Gujarat Titans (GT) beat Punjab Kings by six wickets in match number 18 of the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday, April 13. Gill top-scored for GT with 67 off 49 balls. However, he was dismissed in the last over and it needed a boundary from Rahul Tewatia to push Gujarat past the winning line.

Speaking after the match, Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo that GT have learned some key lessons from their last two matches. He elaborated:

“Champion teams are those who are mindful of their weak areas even when winning matches and tackle the same. Against KKR, there was a clear lesson for Gujarat that on the good pitch don’t play with only five bowlers.

“From this game, the takeaway is that if a batter is set, he should try and finish the game in the 18th or 19th over. If you are taking it till the end, show a temperament like MS Dhoni and don’t get out. Shubman Gill might be asked how the game went to the 20th over. Sai Sudharsan scored at a strike rate of around 100. David Miller was also rather quiet.”

➕2️⃣ points and a celebratory cake-smash 😍

A good day at work 😉

#AavaDe | #PBKSvGT | #TATAIPL 2023 https://t.co/yAOWUNTdes

Gill was bowled off the second ball of the 20th over as he tried to heave Sam Curran. With four needed off two balls, Tewatia scooped Curran over fine leg for the winning boundary.

“We are expecting great things from him” - Sanjay Manjrekar on Shubman Gill

While admitting that one cannot be too harsh on Gill since he is still very young, Manjrekar opined that expectations will always be high from the batter since he is such a prodigious talent. The 57-year-old commented:

“Let’s not forget that he is very young. But because he has such amazing ability, we are expecting great things from him. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have a lot of experience of death overs. Kohli knows how to stay till the end and finish the game. Dhoni has spent his entire life batting in the death overs.

“Gill hasn’t got too many chances yet. But he is a potentially great player and knows that remaining 70 not out would have raised his stature further”

When Gujarat Titans met 'The-One' 🤩💙❤️

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Gill has been in good form in IPL 2023, scoring 183 runs in four matches at an average of 45.75 and a strike rate of 141.86.