Shubman Gill talks about how he was in awe of Eoin Morgan's batting style
Youngster Shubman Gill praised Eoin Morgan, terming his fearless approach to batting as inspiring. Gill got to see Morgan up close as he played with the Englishman as part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Gill also divulged how he has taken a leadership role at the IPL franchise even though he is still just 21 years of age.
The Kolkata Knight Riders have retained Shubman Gill for the 2021 IPL. KKR missed out on the playoffs in the 2020 edition of the IPL, but Gill had a decent tournament with the bat, scoring 373 runs at an average of 33.84 with a strike rate of 118.
In a chat with Forbes India, Shubman Gill talked about how Brendon McCullum and Eoin Morgan are both calm and aggressive while batting. The Indian batsman also opened up on how he was in awe of Morgan's fearless batting style.
"I remember a match against KXIP; we were three down for five runs. In a T20 match, if that is your score in the Powerplay, the game is over for you. But Morgan just came in and stepped out and smashed the first ball for four. As a batsman, I could never think of doing something like that. Watching Morgan do that was inspiring," said Shubman Gill.
"Brendon McCullum is so aggressive and calm at the same time. If we don’t have a great team performance, he will be the first person to come and encourage each and every player. Same for [captain] Eoin Morgan. He plays fabulously well under pressure," added Shubman Gill.
Shubman Gill made his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where India earned a historic series win. The Indian opener finished the series with 259 runs, scoring at an average of 51.80.
Shubman Gill talks about his leadership role at KKR
The 21-year-old Gill might still be looking to establish himself in the international circuit, but the KKR team management have already handed him a leadership role in the team. Shubman Gill explained how he helps youngsters at KKR.
"My role in the KKR team is to handhold youngsters who are just coming into the team. At that stage, it might be difficult to go up to the coach and the captain and discuss your thoughts. It’s my duty to hear their opinions, what their goals are, and to convey their message to the seniors," said Shubman Gill
Team India are set to play a four-match Test series against England next month. Gill will be keen to showcase his talent once again after scoring a brilliant knock of 91 runs in his last Test in Brisbane.