The former Pakistan quick came up with the best compliment for the rising young Indian batter after his exceptional run with the bat in IPL 2023.
Shubman Gill’s incredible run in IPL 2023 for ultimate runners-up Gujarat Titans (GT) continues to be the talking point in cricket fraternity as prominent experts insist the youngster evoked the legendary Sachin Tendulkar at his peak with the bat.
Enjoying an unprecedented streak, the prodigious young right-hander blasted 890 runs in his 17 innings, featuring three outstanding hundreds, at a magnificent strike-rate of 157.80. The 23-year-old exercised amazing dominance over opposition attacks after bolstering his range and backing it up with greater intent.
Pakistan fast-bowling legend Wasim Akram felt watching the rising Indian star was similar to revisiting times when ‘Master Blaster’ Tendulkar used to torment opposition attacks, playing “proper cricketing shots” and yet maintaining eye-catching strike-rates.
Back in the day, Tendulkar was so far ahead of his peers and teammates that the legend would operate in strike-rates way above the norm and still able to retain amazing consistency with his unparalleled range of strokeplay. Quite like his hero Sir Vivian Richards.
Speaking of Shubman Gill in highest-held remarks with a huge Tendulkar reference, the great Akram said bowling to the childhood prodigy in the powerplay field-restriction phase in T20 cricket would be similar to rolling his arms over in the first ten overs of one-day cricket against the greatest ever.
“When I bowl to a player like Gill, even in T20 format, it’s like I am bowling to Sachin Tendulkar in one-day cricket in the first 10 overs, when only two fielders were allowed (outside the 30-yard circle),” the ‘Sultan of Swing’ was quoted as saying by News18.
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Akram said he wasn’t as wary of bowling to even the adventurous opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Kaluwitharana at their peak as counterattacking batters because they would offer him a “chance”. Unlike Tendulkar.
“If I had to bowl to Jayasuriya or Kaluwitharna, I knew I had a chance. I can get them out as they hit on every ball. But, players like Sachin and Gill, they play proper cricketing shots. I think he is the kind of player who can score in all three formats consistently. He is a future superstar of world cricket,” he said.
