NEWS
Follow UsDespite missing the initial stages of the World Cup due to dengue, India batter Shubman Gill has had a decent tournament. He has hit four fifties in eight innings so far, amassing 350 runs at an average of 50.
He once again showed his class in the first sem-final against New Zealand in Mumbai, where he scored an unbeaten 66-ball 80, putting on crucial partnerships with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli along the way.
Gill is often compared to Kohli and is considered by many to be his successor. Gill, who has batted with him on numerous occasions, says that Kohli's hunger and intensity is something that inspires him.
"Every time he comes on to the park, he does something special and just how consistently he's been able to do it for the past 10-15 years is what is really inspiring," Gill said at the post-match press conference.
"And I think for me, it's not so much about the skill that he has, but it's more about the hunger when he goes there and the intensity with which he plays the game is what inspires me. And to be able to have that consistently for as long as he's been doing it is what really inspires me."
Gill also believes his style of play is quite similar to that of Kohli's. "I think our game is a little similar in style, because he and l also like to keep running. I am also a little busy, running singles, twos and hitting boundaries in between. I think we complement each other quite well so it works quite well in the middle," Gill said.
Speaking of Rohit, Gill says that his role is to just support his skipper in the powerplay and put away loose deliveries. "I stand as a learner in the powerplay," Gill said.
"He plays 10 overs; I play 15-20 balls. I rest, and Rohit comes and does his thing. He scores 4, he scores 6 - and I just watch.
"My role is just to play my game in the powerplay. Look for good shots, look for good boundaries and then once the power play’s over, I can rotate the strike quite well then you know to take the rotation to the spinners and then once you are in, then it's all about you and your instinct how you play, how you see which bowler to take on.
"If the bowler is under a bit of pressure, then you know when to take him on. It's all about reading the game after that."
India put on 397 for 4 riding on excellent tons by Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. But Gill believes it was always going to be challenging to bowl under lights.
"We knew it was going to be challenging, especially under the lights and once the new ball gets a bit old, it is a bit difficult for bowlers here to contain runs," Gill explained.
"So, we knew it's going to be challenging, but what was important for us was to just keep bowling the areas where we wanted to bowl and wait for them to make a mistake.
"And that's what we did. And I think at one point, Daryl [Mitchell] and Kane [Williamson], the partnership that they had, it was looking a bit challenging with such big scores, but, you know, a couple of wickets here and there, you're always in the game."
India have now won all 10 matches in the World Cup. They will play the winner of the second semi-final between South Africa and Australia in the final on Sunday (November 19) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
