Shubman Gill hopes to shine with new defensive approach against spinners in Duleep Trophy 2024

Young Indian opener Shubman Gill is all set to lead India A in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024, starting on September 5. Ahead of the season opener, Gill revealed that he has improved his defensive skills against spin bowlers.

He mentioned that on turning tracks, it’s crucial to be skillful in defense to counter spinners effectively before going for big shots. Gill also warned that the frequency of T20 cricket on batting-friendly pitches can sometimes diminish a player's defensive abilities.

Shubman Gill ready for the Duleep Trophy 2024 with enhanced defensive techniques

Consequently, the right-handed batter focused on sharpening his defensive technique during the England series. Gill admitted that he has not yet set the stage on fire in Test cricket, but he is hoping to make big in the upcoming 10 games if he gets the opportunity with his renewed batting approach.

Shubman Gill was quoted as saying by PTI: “I worked on my defense a little bit more against spinners. You should be able to defend a lot more when you are playing on a turning track against spinners, then you can play the scoring shots. With more T20s being played... I won't say on flat tracks, but on batting-friendly tracks, I think it takes away a little bit of your defensive game. So, that was my focus in the England series.”

He further added, “In Test cricket, my performance has not matched my expectations so far. But we are going to play 10 Test matches this season, and when I look back after those 10 Tests, hopefully, my expectations will be matched.”

We'll get to see a good competition in Duleep Trophy 2024: Gill

Gill believes that the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024 will be a great chance for him to adjust to the demands of red-ball cricket, and he hopes the fans will get to a great battle in the tournament.

He added, “This is a big tournament, as every match is important for us. We are playing against some players whom we generally play within the Indian team. So, we will get to see a good competition.”

Speaking about the workload management of the Indian players, Gill said: “There is definitely talk among the selectors and players about the workload. But I think everyone has played a lot of cricket to be able to understand what they need to do when they are playing the match, more so for the bowlers, I would say. I am sure the bowlers had a conversation with the selectors about how they are going to manage their workload.”

Notably, Gill, who confirmed that Prasidh Krishna will not play the first game of the tournament, had finished as the second-highest run-getter in the five-match Test series against England with 452 runs at home.

He is now eager to try out adjustments to his game in the Duleep Trophy before the home Test series against Bangladesh.

India A squad for Duleep Trophy 2024:

Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Shaswat Rawat.