Former India captain and head coach Anil Kumble has praised Gujarat Titans and current Indian Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill.
Gill has been enjoying both individual and team success in the tournament and his Gujarat Titans are now second on the points table after winning four consecutive matches. Kumble’s comments came after GT’s 77-run win over Gill-led Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on May 9. This was RR’s third consecutive defeat at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium.
Shubman Gill shined with the bat in the victory
Apart from his own 84 runs, which came in just 44 balls, Shubman Gill was also involved in a 118-run partnership with his opening partner Sai Sudarshan, who made 54.
Washington Sundar also played an impressive innings of 37 not out, giving RR the target of 230 runs. Vaibhav Suryavanshi looked like he could single-handedly chase them all down, until he was out for 36.
Dhruv Jurel played an aggressive cameo, but was sent back by Rashid Khan. Rashid eventually won the Player of the Match award by taking three more wickets. The leggie’s magic completely shattered Rajasthan Royals as they were bundled out for just 152 runs.
Shubman Gill is one of the most attractive batsmen to look at – Anil Kumble
After the match, Anil Kumble spoke to GeoHotstar and praised Gill’s batting. Kumble said Gill’s ability to remain in control even when trying to hit big shots is what sets him apart from his contemporaries.
Kumble said, “Shubman Gill is one of the most fascinating batsmen to watch in modern cricket. There is nothing too flashy about his game. He believes in playing every ball on its merits. Even when he goes for the big shots, he is in complete control. This is what separates him from many power hitters.”
His deep batting ability is very good – Anil Kumble on Gill
Kumble elaborated and said that Gill’s ability to bat deep is what sets his team up for success. He said that if Gill can create a platform for his team, it helps a lot in executing his main strategy.
He said, “The best part of his batting is his ability to bat deep. Once he gets set, he takes the game deep and turns starts into long, impressive innings. When your top-order batsman does that, it puts the team in a very strong position. It becomes very easy to take the total past 200. We saw the same in Shubman Gill against Rajasthan Royals.”
Shubman Gill’s form in IPL 2026
Gill’s form in IPL 2026 has been excellent. With 462 runs, he is fourth in the Orange Cap table and is the highest run-scorer for his team. He has scored runs at an average of 46.2 and strike rate of 160. He has also scored 4 fifties with a high score of 86.
Gill’s individual success bodes well for GT, but his team success with captaincy has been the defining point. Under the captaincy of Gill, GT is currently at second place in the points table and its winning streak of four matches is also going on.
Also Read: After GT’s big IPL 2026 win, Shubman Gill continues trolling, targets Rajasthan Royals
