Gill happy to bat anywhere for KKR
Kolkata, April 29
The two half-centuries he scored so far in this IPL season came at the top of the innings, but Shubman Gill has defended Kolkata Knight Riders’ decision to use him as a floater.
Opening the batting for only the third time this season, the 19-year-old from Mohali smashed a career-best 76 to power KKR to 157/1 in 15 overs against Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday. In the end, the hosts notched 232/2 in 20 overs.
The Punjab opener, who batted at No. 3 in his debut series for India in New Zealand earlier this year, was tried out in various positions, including at No. 7, in a couple of matches.
“Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine have been doing well (as openers). Narine was giving good starts. So I was happy to get a chance and capitalise on it,” Gill said following his team’s 34-run win.
“It’s one of the best knocks in this IPL, especially considering the situation that we had lost six matches in a row. We do all kinds of practice in various match-conditions. It was all about preparing the mind and executing on the field.”
Giving credit to India’s domestic cricket, Gill said it prepares them to be confident even for a big lucrative league like the IPL. “We play so many matches at different levels. You start to gain confidence by doing well. So when you’re in a big league like IPL, you know you don’t have to prove to anyone. I’ve already proved myself there. It’s all about continuing that.” — Agencies
