One never doubted his talent and skills as a batsman. But at present, the skilful Shubman Gill is in full bloom.

That 91 against Australia in the fourth and final Test in Brisbane two years ago, which laid the foundation for India’s brilliant run chase and an unforgettable series win, was a fair indication of his ability.

In 2023, Gill hit a total of six centuries so far across all formats, including the IPL, giving a vivid account of his capabilities and establishing himself as a match-winner. The hundreds he smashed against Sri Lanka and New Zealand in India’s home limited-overs games earlier this year, including his maiden double-century (208) in one of the ODIs against New Zealand in Hyderabad, underlined the kind of progress he has made, with his game now being on a different level altogether.

With each of those knocks, he also ensured to shut down all the noise and chatter over his strike rate.

Importantly, there’s no complacency in the 23-year-old. Yes, he struggled a bit in the ODI series against Australia in March, aggregating only 57 runs. In the Tests against the Aussies, he cashed in on getting better batting conditions in Ahmedabad during the fourth and final Test to register his second century in the longest format.

“I’m not the kind of person who dwells too much about my last innings. The focus is on what’s needed at the moment,” the Gujarat Titans opener said after his maiden IPL century at the Motera in Ahmedabad on Monday.

Given the flow in which he has been batting lately, Gill certainly looks well set to get more three-figure scores at least in white-ball cricket. What really bodes well for the India opener is his reliance on proper cricketing strokes and not looking for the fancy, funky ones.

“Of course, he relies completely on proper shots as that’s his forte,” agreed former chief selector Chetan Sharma, who resigned back in February. “Speaking from a bowler’s point of view, I would say his concentration level has increased leaps and bounds while his body balance too has improved.

“He’s also reacting faster.”

Gill is “hungrier” for runs at present while the security assured to him by the Titans team management has also been a boon for him, feels former national selector Devang Gandhi. “Shubman is a special talent, so we had fast-tracked him into India A.

“At the moment, his hunger to get more and more runs is one important factor. Besides, since last year itself, Shubman has been feeling a sense of security provided to him by his current franchise and that helped him perform consistently at the top of the order. His position in the order hasn’t been tweaked at all, which surely added to his confidence and helped him address the strike-rate issue as well,” Devang, currently coach of Bengal U-19, explained.

The current selection committee is impressed with Gill’s performance and wants him to continue having more time out in the middle. “Not much time remains for the World Cup, so the selectors feel someone like Gill needs to carry on playing to maintain his rhythm,” a BCCI insider said.