‘Will to dominate world cricket’: Matthew Hayden passes verdict on India star | Cricket

Shubman Gill was in fiery form during Gujarat Titans’ narrow victory vs Punjab Kings in Match 18 of IPL 2023, at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on Thursday. Chasing a target of 154 runs, GT reached 154/4 in 19.5 overs with Gill slamming 67 runs off 49 balls, packed with seven fours and a six. Also, Rahul Tewatia and David Miller finished off the game for GT in the final over.

Initially, PBKS posted 153/8 in 20 overs, with Mohit Sharma scalping two dismissals for Gujarat. Meanwhile, Matt Short registered 36 runs off 24 balls for Punjab.

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Speaking on Star Sports, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden heaped plenty of praise on Gill, who also hammered his second half-century of IPL 2023. “Gujarat Titans needed someone to take responsibility and bat deep in this run chase against a quality Punjab Kings bowling attack, and Shubman Gill did just that. Some of the shots that he played were pleasing to the eyes. He’s such a class player and he’s going to dominate world cricket for the next decade or so”, he said.

Gill is currently fifth in the IPL 2023 Orange Cap race with 183 runs in four matches, at an average of 45.75 and 141.86 strike rate. He is also GT’s highest run-scorer this season. Last season, he finished fifth in the Orange Cap race with 483 runs in 16 matches, behind GT captain Hardik Pandya, who was fourth with 487 runs in 15 fixtures.

Speaking after the match vs PBKS, Gill said, “Wicket got a bit challenging in the end. Was harder to hit sixes with the old ball. It’s a big ground. Was important to keep hitting the gaps, run as hard as possible. I should’ve finished the match. Rahul Tewatia and Kings XI is a love story. In these type of games, there’s definitely pressure on both teams. It’s about trying to minimise dot balls.”

“It was difficult for them also to score runs against the old ball. Was important to have a good powerplay. We ticked that box. It wasn’t a big score. Was important to keep hitting the singles. He looked good in the nets also (Mohit). He has a good yorker. He bowled magnificently with the slower one, using the boundaries. Was a great GT debut for him,” he further added.