Gill walks Kohli's path in flawless display of batting

By Admin

04 Jul, 2025

In an era where comparisons are often burdensome, Shubman Gill has embraced them with remarkable poise especially when the name on the other side of the scale is Virat Kohli. At Edgbaston, in a monumental double-century that sent shockwaves across the cricketing world, Gill didn’t just score runs he relived a legacy. The new No. 4 for India evoked memories of the old one with eerie precision, walking a path Kohli once carved, yet with strides uniquely his own.

As a child in Punjab, Gill was more than just a promising talent he was a self-confessed cricket nerd. He religiously browsed Cricket Archive, a haven for the scorecard-obsessed. Long before it went behind a paywall, young Shubman used it to pore over junior matches, obscure leagues, and more importantly Virat Kohli's career graph. He’d often run comparisons to measure himself against the maestro at the same age. Intriguingly, he wasn’t far behind. In fact, Kohli once famously remarked, watching Gill bat in the New Zealand nets during 2019-20, “I didn’t have even 10% of this kid’s talent when I was his age.”

But Gill always knew talent alone wouldn’t suffice. To chase greatness, he needed to mirror Kohli's obsession: his commitment, fitness, and hunger. And as the stats now tell, he's done more than just keep pace he’s setting milestones. A century on captaincy debut, a second century as captain soon after, and already India’s highest-scoring Test captain in England. The cherry on top? That unforgettable 269, identical to Kohli's India cap number.

Yet numbers, however staggering, don’t tell the whole story. What Gill exudes is the inevitability Kohli once did. He plays with serenity, rarely flirting with danger. In the frenetic world of T20s, he amassed 650 runs at a strike-rate of 155.87 an astonishing feat accompanied by a false shot every nine balls. Imagine the damage when given a flat pitch and the luxury of time. At Headingley, we didn’t have to imagine. He offered a masterclass with just 21 false shots in 227 balls, punished by the 21st exactly the kind his father, Lakhwinder Singh, would tease him for.

Gill's resolve stems from deep roots both familial and physical. Back in his village, his father would pay farmhands ₹100 (a little over £1 then) if they could dismiss young Shubman. England’s assistant coach Jeetan Patel reflected on it after Gill's recent heroics: “We threw everything at him.” But this was a batter seasoned by years of intensity by bowlers tougher than professionals: family expectations.

Across 387 balls in his double-ton, Gill played just 25 false shots. He didn’t curb his instincts reverse sweeps, lofted hits, flicks they all flowed. Partner Ravindra Jadeja captured it perfectly: “It never looked like he would even get out.”

Gill began this series with a Test average under 36. He publicly declared he wanted to be the best batter in the series. And now? That average has already climbed to 40.64. The scary part for opponents is not where he stands but where he’s heading.

In every stroke, in every stat, Gill may be following Kohli’s path. But with each passing Test, it’s becoming increasingly clear: he’s destined to build a path of his own one that others might someday study on Cricket Archive.