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Updated on: Oct 30, 2025 06:21 am IST
Karthik drew parallels between Shubman Gill & Virat Kohli, noting how the young opener’s effortless scoring mirrors the ex-skipper’s calm, effective ODI style.
Shubman Gill’s composed and commanding display at the top of the order in the rain-hit first T20I against Australia drew comparisons to Virat Kohli’s trademark batting style and temperament. The Indian vice-captain remained unbeaten on 37 off 20 balls when the rain forced the play to stop, and eventually the match was abandoned. The opening batter looked confident with his approach and played some solid strokes to stamp his authority over the Aussie bowlers. He didn’t take much risk but still scored at a strike rate of 185.
Dinesh Karthik drew an interesting parallel between Gill and Kohli, highlighting how the young opener’s effortless run accumulation mirrors the former skipper’s calm yet effective batting style in ODIs.
“This is what Virat Kohli does in ODIs. You’ll never know where he is till you look at the scorecard. You’ll think he has only been around sometime and he’ll be on 45,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
The former wicketkeeper batter reflected on the fierce competition for spots in India’s T20I lineup, noting that vice-captain Gill faces a tough challenge keeping out top talents like Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top. Ruturaj Gaikwad and KL Rahul, meanwhile, are still waiting for their opportunity to return to the squad.
“I am sure he is aware of the kind of players he is keeping out, starting from Sanju ( opening), Yashasvi and the rest like Ruturaj and KL Rahul, etc. It’s not easy to be a T20 player right now because you need to be consistent, exceptionally skilled and almost play a match-winning knock every second or third game. That’s the kind of depth India has,” he added.
“Shubman Gill is Indian captain and vice-captain will give him a lot of confidence”
Since his return to the T20I team, Gill has become an automatic starter with Samson being pushed to the middle-order, while Jaiswal still waiting for his chance in the side despite having incredible IPL record.
However, he also suggested that Shubman’s recent elevation to leadership roles across formats boosts his confidence in scoring big runs.
“But the fact that he is the Indian captain and vice-captain will give him a lot of confidence. That helps you up to a point but then you need to go out there and put out the runs, which he has done nicely today,” he concluded.
