Young Indian cricketer Shubman Gill has unveiled the key to his fruitful ODI partnership with captain Rohit Sharma, highlighting the captain’s approach that allows players to play with their own style and expression.
Together, Gill and Sharma have compiled an impressive record of 685 runs at an average of 76.11 in the nine instances they have opened the batting in ODIs. When excluding their only partnership where they didn’t open the batting, their average partnership rises even higher to 85.37.
As India gears up for the Cricket World Cup, the duo’s partnership will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the team’s campaign, aiming to replicate their success from the 2011 edition.
“It’s a wonderful experience to open with him, especially knowing that he receives a lot of attention from the opposition. He encourages other batters to play freely and express themselves according to their own style,” Gill shared with the ICC website.
Their partnership has seen them surpass the fifty-run mark in six out of eight opening stands, with notable partnerships of 143 against Sri Lanka in Guwahati and a massive 212 against New Zealand in Indore earlier in the year.
Their distinct batting approaches and scoring strengths have been the key to their success, putting pressure on bowlers and captains to devise separate plans for each of them.
“Our batting strategies are different, which makes a difference. Rohit tends to target different areas and enjoys hitting aerial shots during the Powerplay,” Gill explained when discussing their complementary styles. “On the other hand, I focus on finding gaps and securing boundaries, while he prefers hitting sixes. This combination seems to work effectively.”
The partnership between Gill and Sharma is set to continue at the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, followed by a three-match ODI series against Australia on home turf. These encounters will provide valuable preparation for the upcoming Cricket World Cup. The journey begins again against Australia in Chennai on October 8 as they commence their World Cup campaign.
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