Former India player Aakash Chopra believes Shubman Gill has the potential to score 50-60 ODI centuries, considering his consistency in the format. His comments came after the second ODI of the three-game series against West Indies, played on September 30 in Guwahati as well. Chasing 406, Gill smashed the fastest double hundred, reaching the milestone in just 117 balls, his second of the career. He finished unbeaten on 223 off 133 balls, hitting 26 fours and eight sixes as India recorded their highest-ever chase to win by eight wickets with 39 balls remaining as well.
Speaking about Gill, in a video on his YouTube channel (Aakash Chopra), he said, “It is also possible that he could score 50 or 60 centuries because he is scoring runs with such regularity, and he has that hunger inside him. He is the Prince, but he has the hunger of a King inside him. That appetite is there. He was kicking himself even after getting out in the last match. He got out after scoring a 100. Here he scored 200 and he is still running.”
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“No one even talks about his fitness yet. I think he is underrated. Because if you have that kind of match fitness, where you celebrate by jumping after scoring 200 and then you actually finish the game, walking off not out. I mean, this is incredible stuff. So, the number one batter in the world, the ODI batter in the world, and he has batted like the number one,” he again added.
However, Aakash Chopra also added that Shubman Gill has registered 31 fifty-plus scores in 68 ODI innings, adding that if he plays 300 to 350 matches, he could also reach the 15,000-run mark as well.
“You really have to pause and take a break. And you have to pinch yourself to realize that he has only played 68 innings. In 68 innings, if he has already scored 11 centuries, including double centuries, and 20 half-centuries, meaning every second innings he is scoring a 50 or more. These are unreal numbers. They are unreal numbers. And then you have to be very honest that if this guy’s era also had as much ODI cricket as it used to have before, if he also plays 300 to 350 matches, then he will also reach 15,000 runs,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
