GT vs CSK: Shubman Gill receives support from India's World Cup winning coach after an average season

Gujarat Titans' South African mentor Gary Kirsten has backed GT captain Shubman Gill to play out a big knock in the franchise's last 3 IPL 2024 games. 

Shubman Gill, who was drafted into the Gujarat team before the 2022 IPL mega auction, was appointed as captain of the team before IPL 2024. The right-hand batter was given the responsibility after title-winning captain Hardik Pandya was traded in by the Mumbai Indians in November 2023. But Gill's first full season as a captain in IPL hasn't gone as planned. 

Gary Kirsten says Shubman Gill will learn the tricks of captaincy with time

While speaking in the pre-match press conference of Gujarat Titans Vs the Chennai Super Kings later tonight, Gary Kirsten had some bright things to say about Gill. The South African claimed that despite the team's underwhelming performances, Shubman Gill has got himself settled in as the captain. 

Kirsten noted that Shubman Gill enjoyed himself being the franchise captain but also added that enhancing leadership abilities is a time-consuming process. Things do not happen overnight and Gill, too, will take his time to master his captaincy skills but overall he enjoyed himself in the leadership role. 

As for his underwhelming performance with the bat in the IPL 2024 season after winning the Orange cap in 2023, Gary Kirsten said that Gill is a class act. Kirsten backed Shubman Gill to have a big impact for the Gujarat Titans in 1-2 of their final 3 league stage games. 

"I think he has enjoyed the captaincy, it's something that takes time to really master, so I think he enjoyed it this season. He is a world-class player so I have no doubt that in the next 3 games, he will put in 1-2 good performances, no doubt." - Gary Kirsten told media reporters. 

While he scored 890 runs in the IPL 2023 season, Shubman Gill has not been able to score even half of the runs this season. From 11 league matches, the 24-year-old has scored just 322 runs, that too, at a strike rate of 134.43 with a best of 89*. His run-scoring tally includes only 2 half-centuries whereas last season, Gill had 3 centuries and 4 half-centuries to his name. 

Due to his average performance in IPL 2024, Shubman Gill also failed to make the cut in India's 15-man squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Gill was put on the reserves list along with Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed and Rinku Singh. 

Gary Kirsten set to begin Pakistan head coaching role later this month

With the Gujarat Titans certain to not make it to the playoffs for the first time in IPL, Gary Kirsten will leave in time to begin his head coaching role with Pakistan. Kirsten, who was the head coach of team India when the country won the 2011 Cricket World Cup, has been appointed as ODI and T20I coach of the Men in Green. 

His first major assignment will be the 4-match T20I series in England and then the ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies from June onwards.