Former Indian captain Kapil Dev has shared some advice for India cricket’s newest superstar Shubman Gill ahead of the IPL 2023 Final. Gill, playing for one of the finalists Gujarat Titans, has emerged as one of the best players in the tournament. The Chandigarh native has been the leading run-scorer of the season as he continued his purple patch from international cricket.
The 23-year-old, this year, has already scored a double century in 50-over cricket and also managed to score his maiden ton in Test cricket. Hence on the back of this early success, the former India captain doesn't want to rate Gill as a great player already and advised him to watch out for the coming three years if he hopes to grow into one of the greats like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
Kapil Dev also expressed that Indian cricket is fortunate for having a talent like Gill, who has emerged as a great successor for Kohli. While speaking to the Sportstar, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain said, “He needs to watch out for the next three years before he takes his place in the hall of modern greats. When Sunil (Gavaskar) finished playing, Sachin (Tendulkar) carried on the good work. When Sachin departed, we had Virat (Kohli) donning the hat. Now, with Kohli still around, Indian cricket is fortunate to have Gill preparing to dominate world cricket with his astonishing prowess.”
Further in the interview, Kapil Dev gave examples of former Indian players like Sadanand Viswanath, Siva L Sivaramakrishnan, Maninder Singh, and Vinod Kambli; who had a lot of talent but could never live up to their potential. Hence Dev has advised Gill to stay focused and grounded as distractions from various factors outside the sport could hamper his growth.
“The problems may not necessarily come from the field of play. He will need to focus on his game as his popularity rises. Expectations of him are bound to grow. He may need sound counselling in today’s world of exposure. It was different when Gavaskar and Tendulkar were ruling the world. Today, a youngster is constantly under scrutiny. Every move is put on social media. I want Gill to stay grounded and blessed. He is destined to go far, but for the next three years he has to stay focused and consistent,” Kapil added.