Dubai, Feb 22: Renowned Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting has described opener Shubman Gill as a “highly motivated” individual who knows his direction and has identified him as a prospective captain for India.
Gill, who is currently the vice-captain for ODIs, is in exceptional form in the one-day format and started the ongoing Champions Trophy on a high note with a century in India’s six-wicket victory against Bangladesh.
“We’ve had the opportunity to connect over the last couple of years, especially during the IPL season. I admire his demeanor. He appears to be a very driven individual who aspires to reach his best in batting and leadership roles,” Ponting mentioned during the ICC Review.
“He just comes across as a genuinely nice person. A softly spoken individual, very dedicated to achieving success in the sport,” Ponting added.
The former Australian skipper remarked that the one-day format fits Gill’s batting style and expressed hope that the 25-year-old will soon replicate that success in Test cricket.
“He’s been an excellent international player for several years. He hasn’t yet made that transition into Test Match cricket, but his performance in white-ball cricket over the last three to four years has been outstanding.
“He’s a big-game player too. He has performed really well in the IPL over the past couple of years, particularly as captain of his franchise,” said Ponting.
As a two-time 50-over World Cup winning captain, Ponting elaborated on why Gill excels in ODI cricket.
“I believe that the white ball game truly complements his playing style. He can come out aggressively early during the power play, getting boundaries with natural and aggressive cricket shots without straying from his game.
“He’s not a big hitter who tries to play outside of his capability. He effortlessly finds boundaries against fast bowling with the white ball,” he remarked. (Agencies)
