Shubman Gill is clear about his goal — to earn a berth in the India squad for the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held this October.
Injuries and a lean patch cost Shubman his place in the Indian team, but a successful campaign for Gujarat Titans in this IPL could help him get a ticket for the showpiece event in Australia, believes the 22-year-old.
The Test versus New Zealand in Mumbai last December was his last competitive appearance, so Shubman does understand how much this IPL matters to him. “If any player does well in the IPL, he will have a chance of securing a berth (for the T20 World Cup). He will at least be considered.
“The World Cup is obviously massive for all the players as everybody wants to represent their country. As far as I’m concerned, if I do well in this IPL and get an opportunity in the World Cup, I’ll certainly be thankful,” Shubman, one of the draft picks of the Titans (before this year’s auction) alongside captain Hardik Pandya and ace Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, said during a virtual media interaction on Sunday.
Although Shubman was an automatic choice for his previous franchise Kolkata Knight Riders up the order, there have been talks over his strike rate not being too impressive. He is trying to address the issue, having spoken to India captain Rohit Sharma about playing aerial shots.
“I had spoken to Rohitbhai a little. I had asked him what goes on in his mind when he tries to clear the field and how he reads the bowler’s mind. So these were among the few things I had discussed with him,” Shubman, who has represented India in 10 Tests and three ODIs so far, said.
What also bodes well for Shubman is the faith shown in him by the Titans, who are one of the two new entrants in the IPL. “When a team shows such trust in you, you are more confident about yourself,” Shubman acknowledged.
“This is a very good opportunity for me, especially due to the confidence shown in me by (head coach) Ashish Nehra and Hardik. As a player, I was really happy as I got the added responsibility. And I do like to take responsibilities,” he emphasised.
Shubman is likely to open for the Titans too, as they make their IPL debut versus the other debutants, Lucknow Super Giants, at the Wankhede in Mumbai on March 28. The batsman, though, is open to any kind of role his team wants him to play.
“I am actually looking forward to whatever role the team demands from me. The captain and the coach must have had something in mind when I was selected in the team,” Shubman said.
Mindset matters
Shubman is also quite conscious about the mindset he needs to have in different situations. “See, your mindset has to differ as per the situation,” he said.
“When you go in to bat, there are different targets and situations while the wicket too could be different. So you can’t have the same mindset all the time. You need to plan your innings accordingly and that’s where the challenge lies.
“If you continue with the same mindset, the opposition can then plan well against you tactically. So adjusting and changing the mindset in terms of the situation is very important. That helps you grow as a cricketer. Importantly, I’ll be working with Gary Kirsten, who’s our mentor, and I hope to learn some new tricks this season.”
Bangalore pitch ‘below average’
The Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch in Bangalore, which was used for the second Test between India and Sri Lanka earlier this month, was on Sunday rated “below average” by the ICC.
India had defeated Sri Lanka by 238 runs in the Test which began on March 12 and ended inside three days. The venue thus received one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
Demerit points will remain active for a rolling five-year period. “The pitch offered a lot of turn on the first day itself and though it improved with every session, in my view, it was not an even contest between the bat and ball,” match referee Javagal Srinath said in a statement issued by the ICC.
In 2017, the Bangalore wicket was rated as below average by ICC match referee Chris Broad.