‘The Prince’ is ready. The throne is waiting. Shubman Gill has announced to the world. He’s ready to be ‘The King,’ the title that has belonged to Virat Kohli for a decade. Since 2022, only one batter, Shai Hope, has scored more ODI hundreds than Gill. And he’s played 12 more innings. His average in the same period is 65.17.
Shubman Gill’s master Dubai hundred
If one needed more evidence of his excellence, Gill put on a masterful display at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium yesterday in the India cricket team’s ICC Champions Trophy opener. Chasing 229 runs against Bangladesh looked easy at first, and the scorecard might show that as well. It was anything but easy.
Once India entered the middle overs, things got extremely tough. The pitch was slow, and the ball was spinning. Virat Kohli was struggling and departed after playing a sluggish innings. The ‘chase master’ was gone, but Gill was there. And he showed why, apart from his promotion from ‘Prince to King,’ he might as well be named the ‘new chase master’ as well.
To anchor an innings isn’t easy. We saw Babar Azam try that in the ICC Champions Trophy opener and fail horribly. Gill did so, and that too with ease. He was named vice-captain for this very reason. The management knows his potential. To score nearly 45% of the team’s entire total on a slow pitch where batters of more repute have failed, he held one end and brought the team home.
Gill may have scored a double hundred, but this innings might be a better knock. “One of the most satisfying innings I have played,” the opener said after the match. “We know the class that he has. This knock shouldn’t surprise anyone. It was good to see him bat till the end,” Rohit added moments later.
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Shubman Gill shows temperament & class in a difficult chase
Gill played out of character. It was his slowest fifty and hundred. Clearly showing that he played according to the situation. Not all players can adapt. Chasing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But Gill is of that mould. He can arrest a collapse, rebuild, and then turn the table on the opposition with his striking.
The ‘chase master’ title shouldn’t be given to anyone easily. But Gill has earned. Among batters with over 1000 runs while chasing in ODIs, Gill has the fifth-best average. His first innings record remains better, but the fact that he averages over 55 just a couple of years into his career is astounding. One mustn’t forget that this isn’t his peak either. He’ll get better in years to come. Given where Virat Kohli is at in his career, Shubman Gill seems ready to take over the ‘chase master’ mantle.
Highest average while chasing in ODIs (minimum 1000 runs)
| Player | Span | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 2008-2025 | 157 | 7879 | 63.54 | 93.37 | 27 | 40 |
| Pathum Nissanka | 2021-2025 | 25 | 1194 | 56.85 | 93.94 | 5 | 6 |
| AB de Villiers | 2005-2018 | 103 | 4204 | 56.81 | 95.04 | 7 | 28 |
| Michael Bevan | 1994-2004 | 81 | 2882 | 56.50 | 67.60 | 3 | 19 |
| Shubman Gill | 2022-2025 | 24 | 1052 | 55.36 | 91.47 | 2 | 6 |
