Last Update on: March 29th, 2023 at 11:37 am

Former Australian captain Aaron Finch has highlighted that Indian opener Shubman Gill is crucial for defending champions Gujarat Titans‘ (GT) success in the upcoming IPL 2023 season.

Gill has had a stellar start to 2023. He has scored 5 centuries for the national side in the first 3 months of the year. This includes becoming the 5th Indian batter to score a double-ton in ODI cricket, and an impressive 122 against New Zealand in T20s. While no one ever doubted the talent possessed by the Punjab-born batsman, 2023 seems to be the breakout year for him.

Finch, who has played for 9 franchises across his IPL career and thus can provide a unique perspective, has named Shubman Gill as the X-factor for GT in 2023, claiming his performances will decide his team’s fate.

Also read: IPL 2023: Vikram Solanki Reckons Shubman Gill Can Be Future Leader For Gujarat Titans

“I think a concern area for Gujarat Titans will be their top order if Shubman Gill does not fire. Shubman Gill is the X-factor for the team. We know how freely he can score, he is such a damaging player and when he gets in, he goes really big. If he fires, their middle-order will function very well and they will be very hard to beat,: he said

2022 was Shubman Gill’s best IPL season to date. where he opened the batting for the side with an average of 34.50 and a strike rate of 132.33 to score 483 runs on his way to picking the trophy with GT for the first time.

Also read: IPL 2023: Best Playing XI of Gujarat Titans (GT)

Shikhar Dhawan would pick Shubman Gill over himself in the national team based on form

The rise of Shubman Gill in the Indian National side seems to have come at the cost of Shikhar Dhawan, but the latter claims that he would pick the 23-year-old ahead of himself in the national side based on current form.

Dhawan had been a mainstay of the Indian team for about a decade now. He cemented himself as a gun opener at least in the limited-overs formats. He was a regular in the Indian ODI side a few months ago before Gill exploded onto the scene.

Aware of the GT batter’s scintillating form, Dhawan, who will captain the Punjab Kings in IPL 2023, claimed in a recent interview with Aaj Tak that if he were a selector, he would pick Shubman over himself at the moment

Also read: IPL 2023: “He’s Like A Proper Friend” – Gujarat Titans’ Shivam Mavi On Head Coach Ashish Nehra

“I feel the way Shubman is playing is simply too good. He has been performing well in all formats. Also, he has been playing more matches in the international circuit while I wasn’t… So if I were the selector, then definitely, I would have given the chance to Shubman… Would have selected Shubman over me.”

Shikhar Dhawan will look to stamp his claim to the opening position in the Indian team with a good IPL 2023, as India are to host the ODI World Cup later this year.

GT vs CSK: “Shubman Gill Is The X-Factor For The Team” – Says Aaron Finch About Gujarat Titans’ Chances In IPL 2023

Shikhar Dhawan would pick Shubman Gill over himself in the national team based on form

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