Shubman Gill needs to step up and start winning matches like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma: Dinesh Karthik

India’s veteran wicket-keeper bat Dinesh Karthik feels Shubman Gill needs to step up and start winning matches like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Gill has been in stellar form in the ODI format in 2023 and he has been ticking the right boxes as an opener.

Gill scored a fine knock of 121 runs off 133 balls against Bangladesh in the last Super Fours stage match on Friday but his efforts went in vain as India lost by six runs. The youngster could not get the support from the other end as Team India kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Before the Asia Cup final, Gill is the highest run-getter of the tournament with 275 runs in five matches at an impressive average of 68.75 and a strike rate of 90.46.

In 2023, Gill has amassed 1025 runs in 17 ODI matches at a staggering average of 68.33 and a strike rate of 103.32.

Overall, Gill has scored 1712 runs in 32 ODI matches he has played at an average of 63.40 and he has been giving solid starts to the team along with skipper Rohit Sharma.

Karthik feels Gill would have wanted to take India over the line against Bangladesh and he would have been a tad disappointed to not get the job done.

“Yes, he would have ideally liked to finish it, but I won’t consider it a bad shot. On these kinds of pitches, to play those shots consistently was always going to be a challenge,” said Karthik while talking to Cricbuzz.

Karthik predicted that Gill is going to win a lot of matches for India but urged the youngster to learn from veterans like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

“He stepped up that part [playing all three formats]. He needs to step up one more part where he starts winning matches like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma over the years. He has the potential to do that and he will definitely win a lot of games for India,” said Karthik.

Gill will aim to continue the good show in the forthcoming ODI World Cup 2023.