India vs Australia 1st ODI: Shubman Gill Wants To Be Next Superstar Like Virat Kohli, Says Suresh Raina

Shubman Gill, with one ODI double hundred to his name, is billed as the next superstar of Indian cricket and former Indian batter Suresh Raina says that he is one of the most important players for India in the World Cup

Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. (Source: ANI)

India's opening batter Shubman Gill has emerged as one of the top batters for the Men in Blue in ODIs. In 33 matches, he has smashed 1739 runs at an average 64.41 with a strike rate of 102.05. He has smashed already scored a double ton in ODIs and is set to become the next superstar of Indian cricket. Shubman struck a brilliant ton in the Asia Cup 2023 vs Bangladesh albeit in a losing cause. India pin hopes on Shubman to do hit many such hundreds in the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023.

Former India batter Suresh Raina believes that Shubman has all the makings to become the next Virat Kohli and after this World Cup, the world will be talking about him. “He’s been consistent for a year and a half. He struggled in the middle against West Indies, but the way he's come back and scored good runs in the Asia Cup. He is looking positive, using good footwork, and from getting out at 40 against the West Indies, he is now comfortably hitting 50s and even 100s. He'll be one of the most important players at the World Cup. I know that he wants to be a superstar and wants to be the next Virat Kohli and is in that aura already and after this World Cup, we will be talking about him more often."

Raina also said that Shubman will be expected to do what Rohit did in the 2019 World Cup. At the last World Cup, Rohit had struck five hundreds. "The form he's playing in with his hand speed - it's extremely strong. Spinners don't know where to bowl to him and if fast bowlers don't swing the ball, he can play those really well with a straight or a flick. His mindset will not stop here. What Rohit Sharma did in the 2019 World Cup; Gill could do the same for India this year. He'll get 50 overs to bat, so it's a takeoff point for his batting. I think he's a born leader and he shows that in his game," said Raina, in a conversation with Jio Cinema.

A fine innings calls for a finer celebration ____

Keep at it, @ShubmanGill.#TeamIndia #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/3e7F4tPnA6

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 15, 2023

“He has just bowled about 5 or 6 overs till now. Rohit Sharma is with him and monitoring how effective he can be with the new ball. If we want to dismiss Australia's top order, we have Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah for that. The line and speed with which he's bowling, it's swinging fully round the wicket. Even in his run-up, you can see, he has increased it a little bit, but the swing in his finishing line is praiseworthy," said Raina while praising Jasprit Bumrah.