Earlier this year, when India’s dynamic batsmen Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli hit their respective hundreds in the fourth test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Twitter was flooded with the tags “King and Prince,” and everyone started calling Gill Virat Kohli’s next successor. Shubman Gill’s century streak started at the beginning of 2023, when he scored his maiden century in international t20 against New Zealand and also broke VK’s record for the highest individual score in t20 by any Indian batsman. Later, he scored a double hundred in the ODI against New Zealand and became the youngest player ever to achieve this record.
Gill’s unstoppable rise
Watching this 23-year-old and the veteran score big runs is giving fans a tremendous sight. Ahead of the WTC final against Australia at the Oval stadium today, Virat Kohli also reacted to the “King and Prince” tag and revealed his role in Gill’s massive rise . Gill’s rise began exactly a year ago on the West Indies tour.
He scored four fifties and a century there and showed consistent batting. His run continued this year as well, and he scored five international centuries. He was also unstoppable in the IPL 2023, where he scored three centuries and came very close to breaking Kohli’s record of highest runs in an IPL season.
Gill under Kohli’s wing
During an interview with the ICC, Kohli admitted that he has taken Shubman Gill under his wing since his debut in 2019 and is very proud to see him dominate all the formats of the game. Kohli said that “the 23-year-old is very keen to learn and has spectacular skills, he has the ability and character to perform at a high level, and he is confident in his game. We have an understanding and relationship based on respect”.
The tags are good for public- Kohli
Gill has two centuries in the 15 tests he has played till now and has shown only a glimpse of his true self across formats, and Kohli looks forward to the youngster scoring good runs against Australia in the WTC final, which starts today at the Oval Stadium. Kohli said, “I am looking forward to helping him grow and understand his potential so that he can play for a long time and perform emphatically for the team.
He further said the tags of King and Prince are good for the public and spectators, but the job of a senior player is to help the youngsters grow and give them the perception we have had throughout our career”.
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