Sanjay Manjrekar attacks Shubman Gill, links Lord’s flop show to Virat Kohli obsession in explosive claim

Former Indian batter and cricket pundit Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Shubman Gill's emotions got the better of him during the third Test against England, which may have hurt the Indian skipper’s performance in the second innings at Lord’s.

On Day 3, Shubman Gill got involved in a verbal fight with Zak Crawley, who appeared to delay play to avoid one last over before stumps on Day 3 at Lord’s. Gill didn’t like it and showed his frustration in an animated fashion to stun the cricket world. But things turned around the next day.

Sanjay Manjrekar says Shubman Gill crumbled under fire at Lord’s

When the Punjab lad walked out to bat during India's chase of 193 on Day 4, the England players gave him a tough time with some heated words. Under pressure, Gill couldn’t settle and was trapped LBW by Brydon Carse for just six runs, and eventually, India lost the game by 22 runs at Lord’s.

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Well, Manjrekar pointed out that Shubman Gill is not Virat Kohli, whose beast mode turns on when someone tries to get under his skin. He added that Gill looked unsettled when England players gave him a return of his own medicine, and it showed in his performance in the second innings at Lord’s.

Virat Kohli would get even more fired up if things got nasty: Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo, “The thing with Virat Kohli was that he would get even more fired up and become a better batter [if things got nasty]. What disappointed me with Shubman Gill, and that is why I was wondering, where is Shubman Gill heading? Because that seemed like it didn't have the right effect on Shubman Gill, the batter.”

The commentator further added, “He came out looking very tentative, and, you know, these days we are privy to the stump mic, and we could hear the things being said, and there were some personal attacks made. This could be a new experience for Shubman Gill because these days, as you can see, you know, with Indian players, there's mostly friendly reception from a lot of foreign teams. So, this was new territory. And he looked tentative and wasn't up for it.”

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Sanjay Manjrekar links Gill’s Lord’s failure to mental distraction

Manjrekar believes that Gill’s poor outing in the second innings at Lord’s was linked to a shift in his mindset. He noted that the right-handed batter had batted with great control so far in the Test series, rarely missing a ball and showing strong defense. But during the second innings, things looked different as he missed deliveries he would normally handle easily.

One ball led to a close review, and the very next delivery got him out LBW. Manjrekar noted that missing four balls in just nine deliveries was unusual for Gill and suggested that the incident on Day 3 may have unsettled him, leading to a loss of focus when it mattered most.

Sanjay Manjrekar questions Shubman Gill’s new fiery persona

Furthermore, Manjrekar questioned whether Gill’s aggressive behavior during the Lord’s Test was genuine or just a result of winning the Edgbaston Test. He pointed out that if Gill had a naturally fiery personality, it would’ve shown earlier in his career, not just after becoming captain.

The commentator also compared this to Virat Kohli, whose intense and combative nature was visible long before he took charge of the team. Manjrekar further explained, “And just to extend on that point, if Shubman Gill had that kind of a fiery side to him, we would have seen it a little earlier. You don't have to show it when you're captain. Or did he show it because he's got this confidence now that he's won a Test match and he's got so many runs?”

Manjrekar signed off by saying, “Because with Virat Kohli, you could see that he was ready for a scrap. He was always waiting to get in the thick of things. Even when he wasn't a captain, you could see him coming in there. So that was a trait that we'd seen even before he was captain. With Shubman Gill, I've never seen it before.”

"His father [who played a big part as he grew up pursuing a career in cricket], in fact, would know him, would know his child, whether he's a Virat Kohli, potential Virat Kohli or [MS] Dhoni or somewhere in between. I'm guessing somewhere in between. So he's got to find his own way."