‘On my average day, I will be able to bat with a strike rate of 140-150’
MUMBAI: He is taking rapid strides in becoming India’s all-format batting star. But such is the competition for slots in lead up to the upcoming T20 World Cup that Shubman Gill is not a certainty. In this interview, he talks about his World Cup aspirations, finding the right T20 template, move to drop down to No 3 in Test cricket and more. Excerpts:
It’s very difficult from a mental point of view. T20 has changed a lot in the last 3-4 years, especially after the Impact Player coming in. Even in T20Is, the intensity is very different from what it was eight years ago. The challenge is not so much about skill or technical. To be able to be a successful T20 batter, your mindset has to be completely different from how you would approach a Test. How quickly can you make that adjustment, is the challenge.
There can’t be a template to the game. But I would say, every player has a template. If you see Buttler, the way he goes about things, there is a certain template.
Even when Stoinis was batting, he scored his first 50 in 26 balls. As a batter, I know on my average day, I would be able to bat with a strike rate of 140-150. On a good day, it would be 180-200. If we are batting on a good wicket and 50 would come in 29-30 balls, from then I am trying to convert it into a 50-52 ball hundred.
I played the 50 overs World Cup last year and it was a dream for me to represent my country in a World Cup. If I am able to make it to this year’s T20 World Cup, it would be nothing short of a dream coming true. Last year’s World Cup experience would help me as we try to win the World Cup.
After scoring almost 900 runs (in IPL) last season, I would obviously be disappointed as a player. I would still be cheering for the players and wish them the best.