Yesterday, India did the right thing by picking Shubman Gill ahead of Ishan Kishan in the first ODI against Sri Lanka.
Gill repaid the faith shown in him by hitting 70 runs from 60 balls and becoming the aggressor right at the start along with Rohit Sharma.
Because of the superb start that India got, they produced a target of 374 runs for the visitors to chase.
In reply, Sri Lanka fought well but fell short by 67 runs in the end.
Now, former India player, Mohammad Kaif has praised India for picking Shubman Gill and says that they have picked the right player for the format.
It was the right decision. They are playing the better player. It is not that a left-hander is being sent at the top of the order so that you get a left-right combination. Shikhar Dhawan was playing because he was a good player and had a good record and not because he was a left-hander.
Additionally, Kaif has also praised Gill for putting up a great performance despite facing immense pressure.
They played Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. Gill will have to be praised because he knows the atmosphere in which he is playing. He knows Shikhar has been dropped and Ishan Kishan is sitting outside after scoring a double century but he showed faith in his game.
Kaif says that Gill played his typical innings in the first ODI
Ishan Kishan was at his phenomenal best as he hit a double ton against Bangladesh in the last ODI series.
However, Shubman Gill was rested for this series and did not feature in any of the three ODIs.
Kaif has praised Gill for playing to his strengths and says,
It was a typical Gill knock. He punches the ball very well. It is not that he is going to take time, it is not that he needs 15-20 balls. If you bowl a bad ball, he hits a boundary. He showed that by doing it today.
Additionally, the former cricketer-turned-commentator has also highlighted the fact that Gill was the early aggressor right from the start.
Rohit Sharma started playing fast later. Shubman Gill hit the fours at the start. He gave momentum to the Indian innings. I like him a lot. He has the timing and elegance. He plays the flicks, the drives. The form he has got, he had a very good 2022 and is coming after scoring a century in a Test match, he made the best of that.
Together, Gill and Rohit contributed 143 runs for the first wicket that laid the foundation for India to build up on a massive score.
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