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'No longer prince, he is...': Ex-India opener lavishes praise on Shubman Gill after match-winning knock vs Afghanistan originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Aakash Chopra says "supreme" should replace "prince" on Gill's bat after his 84 not out.
- Gill became the second-fastest batter to 3,000 ODI runs.
- He was adjudged the MoM for his 84-run knock in the first ODI.
Aakash Chopra crowns Shubman Gill "supreme" after match-winning 84 against Afghanistan
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has heaped praise on Shubman Gill following the Indian captain's match-winning, unbeaten 84 in the first ODI against Afghanistan at Dharamshala.
The former cricketer believes that the "prince" tag no longer does the batter justice and that something far grander now belongs on his bat.
Afghanistan were bowled out for 194 in what became a rain-reduced 25-over contest in Dharamshala on June 13. Gill walked in and proceeded to dismantle the target with 84 not out off 66 balls, hitting 11 fours and two sixes as India knocked off the runs with seven wickets and 13 balls in hand.
MORE: 'It's fine!': Gill opens up on Rohit's run-out in Dharamshala victory against AFG
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Chopra was emphatic in his assessment of Gill.
"Shubman Gill, what a player. He seamlessly switches across formats. He scores runs with great authority. Prince is no longer written on his bat, supreme has been written," he said.
"Shubman Gill is telling us once again that he is special. He scored a century in Qualifier 2 in a T20 and then a hundred in a Test."
Chopra was particularly taken by the cover drive Gill used to get off the mark, describing it as pure class .
"It wasn't a hundred here, but it was no less than that. He is batting beautifully, almost like a dream," he added.
"He hit a cover drive. Just watch that shot and clap. That was pure class. That was his first scoring shot, and he kept hitting after that. Asserting and dominating, he looks good."
MORE: How Gautam Gambhir helped Rahmanullah Gurbaz?
Shubman Gill becomes second fastest to score 3,000 ODI runs
Beyond the knock itself, Gill quietly reached another significant landmark during the chase. He became the second-fastest batter in ODI history to accumulate 3,000 runs, as he reached the milestone in his 62nd innings.
Only Hashim Amla got there quicker, in 57 innings. Gill now has 3,037 ODI runs from 62 innings, ahead of Shai Hope, Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, who each reached the same mark in 67 innings.
| Rank | Player | Country | Innings Taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hashim Amla | South Africa | 57 |
| 2 | Shubman Gill | India | 62 |
| 3 | Shai Hope | West Indies | 67 |
| =3 | Fakhar Zaman | Pakistan | 67 |
| =3 | Imam-ul-Haq | Pakistan | 67 |
| 6 | Babar Azam | Pakistan | 68 |
| 7 | Viv Richards | West Indies | 69 |
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The Bigger Picture: Gill is batting at the peak of his powers
The "prince" nickname was always affectionate but slightly provisional, a title that suggested potential rather than arrival. What Chopra is saying, and what the numbers are backing up, is that Gill has fully arrived.
He is leading India across formats, winning matches almost single-handedly, and setting records that place him in the company of the sport's greatest ODI batters. The captaincy, which sometimes weighs down young players, seems only to have freed him.
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