‘After every match, he is replying to them’: Ashwin rips into Shubman Gill doubters, brands him ‘absolute gold dust’

Shubman Gill produced a terrific knock under pressure to guide India to a six-wicket victory in their Champions Trophy opener on Thursday against Bangladesh. On a challenging pitch where scoring wasn’t easy, Gill’s precise strokeplay set him apart as he expertly guided India to a successful chase of 229 with 21 balls remaining.

Riding high on confidence after a prolific series against England, Gill carried his rich form into the tournament, registering his eighth ODI century – his maiden ton in an ICC event. Even as India lost early wickets, he stayed composed, forging a vital 87-run stand with Kl satisfied (41*) to steer the team to victory.

India’s star off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, lauded Shubman Gill, while also speaking about the doubts that many posed over Gill’s elevation to vice-captaincy when the Champions Trophy squad was announced last month.

“Many people were discussing when the Champions Trophy was announced, maybe they were confusing it with Tests and saying how Shubman Gill can get a place in the squad. They were saying how Shubman was named vice-captain? But after every match, he’s replying to them,” Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat.

“In white-ball formats, and especially in one-dayers, he’s saying ‘I’m here to stay’. Even in T20s, his stats are good. When Test format returns, these questions will arise again and then, I can understand.”

‘Absolute gold dust’

While Ashwin admitted that Gill had an underwhelming outing in the 2023 World Cup at home, he insisted that the youngster continues to remain a vital part of India’s fifty-over team.

“The 2023 World Cup didn’t go to Gill’s standards, but nevertheless, Shubman Gill has once again proven why he’s an exceptional, generational talent. He’s an absolute gold dust in this format, the way he sets his tempo, and the way he showed his temperament to seal the chase… it wasn’t the easiest of white-ball template pitches, but he adapted brilliantly,” said Ashwin.

Team India will return to action on Sunday when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a marquee Champions Trophy encounter in Dubai.