Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra praised Shubman Gill for his batting performance in the first ODI against the West Indies, which provided the Indian team with a strong start. Gill had last played an ODI against Australia in 2020 before being called up for this series, and he was a surprise inclusion in the side against the West Indies. Gill was expected to be benched with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan in the squad, but that did not happen.
The right-hander opened the batting with skipper Shikhar Dhawan, putting up 119 runs for the first wicket. Gill was the more aggressive of the two, and he took on the bowling right away. At a strike rate of 120.75, the 22-year-old struck a 53-ball 64 with six fours and two sixes. It couldn’t have been a better comeback to the ODI system for Gill, who looked in command of the bat.
Chopra observed that Gill’s exquisite shots captured the attention of the fans and felt that he is highly valued when he bats in such a manner. The 44-year-old felt Gill blew an opportunity to score a century and felt the kid should have dominated proceedings. He expressed his dissatisfaction with how Gill was treated.
