‘Gill constructs his innings brilliantly’ – Harbhajan Singh lauds GT opener following splendid ton against RCB in IPL 2023

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh lavished massive praise on Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Shubman Gill, following his scintillating ton against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday, May 21. Notably, it was Gill’s century that helped GT clinch two points and in doing so, eliminate RCB from the race for the playoffs.

The flamboyant Titans opener clobbered an unconquered 104 off 52 balls, smoking eight sixes and five boundaries at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 200.00. It is worth mentioning that Gill is in contention for the IPL Orange Cap as he has collected 680 runs in 14 appearances, lacing it with two centuries and four half-centuries. On that note, Harbhajan opined on his playing style and drew parallels with former RCB skipper Virat Kohli.

"Shubman Gill constructs his innings brilliantly. He has his own persona and possesses that lazy elegance, unlike intense Virat Kohli. He can play all kinds of shots with ease just like Kohli, but he won't appear as aggressive as Kohli with his body language. He is a different character. He's such a prospective talent for India," Harbhajan said on Star Sports.

Kohli is a proper batter: Harbhajan Singh

Interestingly, on the very same evening, swashbuckling right-hander Virat Kohli too raised his bat on the occasion of his century. The batter single-handedly hammered an unbeaten 101 off 61 to steer RCB towards a competitive first innings score of 197. Harbhajan lauded Kohli as he is driven towards the technical aspect of his batting game, which has made him a ‘great batter’.

"You never see Virat Kohli play risky shots; he always looks to play in the 'V'. He has proper cricketing shots and that is why he's such a great batter. Kohli is a proper batter and he can play any format of the game be it Tests, T20s or even T10s because of the supreme technique," Harbhajan added.

Impressively, Kohli added a second ton in the ongoing season and in the process, surpassed former teammate Chris Gayle’s record of most centuries in the top-tier league with seven to his account. Despite ending on the losing side, Kohli relished a solid campaign and will look to maintain his fine touch in the forthcoming WTC Final.