He was supposed to be the future of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the man around whom the team’s batting would revolve for the next decade. Instead, on Saturday, he will be lining up against KKR for the very first time. He is, of course, Shubman Gill, the 22-year-old who burst onto the scene in purple and gold, and after four good seasons with KKR, has become the most precious thing since the Tata Nano to ditch the shores of Bengal for Gujarat.
During his stint with KKR, Gill crossed 400 seasonal runs twice, in 2020 and 2021 Image Courtesy: BCCI
In his time at KKR, Gill managed 1417 runs in 55 innings at a healthy average of 32.16 and an optimal strike rate of 126.81 for someone expected to bat for most of the 20 overs. Gill’s most prolific season for KKR came last year when he scored 478 across an entire season, though most observers would rate his first two campaigns in 2018 and 2019 as more electrifying.
Before KKR’s latest prodigal son takes the field against his former team for his current franchise, the Gujarat Titans (GT), My Kolkata refreshes your memories by revisiting three key innings by Gill for KKR over the years.
Playing sheet anchor against SRH
Gill controlled the chase against SRH in 2020, wrapping things up with Eoin Morgan with two overs to spare Image Courtesy: BCCI
When KKR met the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Abu Dhabi in September 2020, most expected a game of fine margins, and potentially, a result that would not be decided until the last over. But SRH dented those expectations somewhat by only managing 142 in the first innings, relying largely on Manish Pandey’s half-century. In pursuit, KKR lost Sunil Narine for a second-ball duck and after a cameo, Nitish Rana departed, followed soon after by Dinesh Karthik. At 53 for 3, the onus was on Gill to steady the ship and anchor KKR’s chase. With a match-winning partnership alongside Eoin Morgan, Gill did exactly that, manipulating the SRH field with consummate ease to stroke his way to 70 not out off 62 balls. It was just the kind of innings that KKR needed to complement Morgan’s big shots at the other end. The team got home with two overs left.
Setting the stage against MI
Gill’s knock against MI in 2019 was the most explosive of his KKR career Image Courtesy: BCCI
It is no secret that the Mumbai Indians (MI) have been KKR’s bogey team in the IPL, though Pat Cummins’s fireworks earlier this season have fetched Kolkata some rare bragging rights. Back in 2019, when KKR hosted MI, the to-be champions looked in fine fettle, ready to upstage the hosts once more at the Eden Gardens. What followed, however, was a completely different story, with KKR playing out of their skin to bat MI out of the game. On a flat pitch, the home team registered a whopping 232 for 2 in the first innings. While the bulk of the acceleration came courtesy Andre Russell, it was Gill, in tandem with Chris Lynn, who provided the perfect platform for the West Indian to take over. Gill’s 76 runs saw him bat for more than 15 overs but take up no more than 45 balls, six of which went for fours and four for glorious maximums. It was the kind of performance that shut up critics who felt that Gill did not have enough gears in his batting. Eventually, KKR won the game by 34 runs, notwithstanding a blinder of an effort from Hardik Pandya.
Breakout brilliance against CSK
Composure and class from Gill against CSK in 2018 made KKR fans sit up and take notice Image Courtesy: BCCI
It is not often that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) visit any opposition ground and get thoroughly outclassed, but that is what happened when the men in yellow came to Eden in early May 2018. Batting first, a somewhat complacent CSK put up 177 runs on the board, thanks largely to an explosive finish by Dhoni. KKR’s chase got off to a stuttering start with both Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa back in the dugout inside five overs. That is when a certain Shubman Gill, still unknown to most IPL fans, came to the crease to join Narine. Having taken his time to get used to the CSK bowling, Gill gradually unfurled his shots — cutting, pulling and driving with the sort of grace that had not been seen from a KKR rookie for a long time. Once Narine and then Rinku Singh fell to give CSK a sniff of a chance, Gill upped his strike rate and batted wonderfully with his skipper Karthik to take KKR over the line. His unbeaten 57 off 36 balls not only showcased his impeccable timing and placement but also maturity and match awareness far beyond his years.