Harbhajan Singh and Shubman Gill. (Photo Source: Gareth Copley-ICC, ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)
Former India spinner, Harbhajan Singh offered his insights on India’s opening batter, Shubman Gill. The young batter has been under scrutiny lately due to a dip in his batting form, but Harbhajan came to his defense, emphasizing that there is nothing wrong with Gill’s technique.
Harbhajan attributed Gill’s recent struggles to exhaustion caused by an extensive cricket schedule. Gill, who had a brilliant Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season, found himself in the spotlight but couldn’t replicate his IPL form in the Asia Cup 2023 opener against Pakistan, scoring just 10 runs off 32 deliveries.
“I think this is because of too much cricket. He has been playing for quite a while now. He had a great IPL. Every player needs some rest because IPL is a very demanding tournament. You go to travel and also play every second day. I feel he just needs a bit of a break. He’s a quality player and there’s no doubt about that,” Harbhajan said in a conversation with India Today.
Harbhajan said that there is nothing wrong with Gill’s technique, expressing confidence that the young talent would bounce back once he regains his confidence. Gill, who finished as the leading run-scorer in IPL 2023, has experienced a slump in form lately.
“He will come back to form and start scoring runs. I believe there’s nothing wrong with his technique and the way he’s batting. But it’s just that his confidence is a bit low and I’m sure if he gives himself a bit more time, he’s going to come good,” Harbhajan added.
India’s recent Asia Cup outing saw their top-four batters, including captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer, struggle to put up substantial scores against Pakistan. However, the team was rescued by great batting performances from Ishan Kishan and vice-captain Hardik Pandya. As India turns its attention to Nepal in their upcoming clash, fans remain hopeful that Shubman Gill will regain his form very soon.