India’s batting star Shubman Gill has made it clear that he carries no sense of unfinished business as he prepares to play Indian Premier League (IPL) following his absence from India’s T20 World Cup campaign. Gill was not included in the squad that secured India’s third T20 World Cup title on home soil earlier this month. The team management opted for the dynamic opening pair of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, both of whom justified their selection with impactful performances throughout the tournament. Their contributions played a crucial role in India lifting the coveted trophy. However, the exclusion has not shaken Gill’s confidence, with the right-hander asserting that he does not feel the need to prove himself to anyone.
"I think if you look at the past three or four seasons, I think I have the most runs in the IPL. So I don't think I have anything to prove in this season particularly. And the four years that I have played for this team, I think we have done decently well as a team. And I think I have done decently well as a batsman," Gill said at a press conference ahead of the IPL.
"So I don't think I need to prove to anyone my worth. I think I need to do what I have been doing for the past four years. And as a team, we need to be consistent, which I think we have been. And if we continue doing that sooner or later, I think we will win that trophy once more," he said.
Touching upon the impact player rule, Gill was totally against it. Notably, the rule will remain in effect till 2027.
"Personally for me, I don't think there should be an impact player. I think cricket in general is an 11-player game. And on wickets where we play, on the grounds that we play, adding an extra batsman, I think it takes the skill out of the game," Gill said.
"There is a certain skill in the game that you need to have. When you know you have certain amount of batters and if couple of your batters get out, there is an amount of skill that you need to have to still get the scoreboard moving and get your team to a good score. I think with that one extra player it's making the game more one-dimensional, and it's taking a little bit of the skill out of the game," he said.
"Chasing 180 on a challenging wicket or 160 on a challenging wicket is for me personally way more exciting than chasing 220 on a flat wicket. Personally I don't like it that much," he added.