Shubman Gill Leads India To Remarkable 4-1 Series Victory In Harare

Captaincy, personal performance, and future prospects highlight Gill's triumph

Shubman Gill had a strong series as batter and captain / SHUBMAN GILL ON FACEBOOK

By Moses Ochieng

"Truly remarkable."

That was how Shubman Gill described India's 4-1 series victory in Harare, a result that doesn't fully reflect their initial loss in the first match and the dominant performances that followed. The transformation seen in Harare also affected Gill personally, as he had been omitted from the T20 World Cup squad just weeks before.

Chosen to captain a young team in Harare, Gill not only displayed sharp tactical skills but also excelled as an opening batsman, scoring 170 runs at a strike rate of 126. His standout performance in Harare has undoubtedly bolstered his T20I credentials, sending a clear message to selectors that he remains a viable option. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from the format, Gill appears poised to partner with Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order, though he will face challenges ahead that he must overcome.

To begin with, there's Abhishek Sharma, Gill's teammate from Punjab, who earned his spot through impressive performances in the IPL where he showcased his aggressive batting style. In his two chances opening the innings, he lived up to that reputation, notably scoring a century in his first international match, aligning well with India's evolving playing style. Then there's Ruturaj Gaikwad, who didn't get a chance to open but clearly demonstrated his abilities and contributions to the team.

"It's a good thing that everyone's performing. It shows that everyone is hungry and nobody is ready to take it easy. For any country or board, that's always a good thing. Anyone who got the opportunity grabbed it with both hands. The openers to bowlers to allrounders to spinners, everyone made a mark and I think the selectors have now seen everything and it's up to them to name the squad for the next series (3T20Is, 3 ODIs in Sri Lanka)," Gill said in media reports.

Despite Gill having the lowest strike rate among the squad's potential opening batsmen — Jaiswal (166), Gaikwad (158), and Abhishek (175) — the Indian captain attributed this to tricky pitch conditions early on. He emphasized the strategy of setting up the game for later stages by adjusting their approach to the challenging conditions in the powerplay overs.

"The pitches were a bit tough in the first 5-6 overs with the ball moving around, so we aimed to navigate that phase cautiously and then capitalize as the innings progressed," Gill remarked.

Gill's captaincy is a significant positive for him as India plans for the future following Rohit's retirement.

 "One thing about captaincy I feel is how much confidence you can show in your players. I try to do that and make them believe that if you try and execute the plans, the results will always follow. After losing the first match, we were under a bit of pressure. It's not easy to play back to back games and the series was planned in a way that there were two back-to-back games, a couple of days rest and then again back-to-back games. It's never easy playing a series like that but I think the way we came back after losing the first T20I was really remarkable. I think going 1-0 down in the series and then the way we came back was truly remarkable. Seeing everyone hungry and so quickly adapting to the situation and assessing the conditions was truly spectacular to watch," he added.