'Look at his record': K Srikkanth's honest verdict on Shubman Gill being called the next Virat Kohli

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth, who was part of the ODI World Cup-winning team in 1983, emphasized the need for Shubman Gill to consistently perform in overseas conditions to meet the high expectations placed on him. Acknowledging the hype around Gill as the next big talent in Indian cricket, Srikkanth expressed a wait-and-see approach to assess the young opener's performance in the upcoming matches.

3 things you need to know

• Shubman Gill had a pretty decent year with the bat in 2023
• He finished the season as the highest run-scorer for India
• Shubman Gill also performed well in the IPL 2023

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Kris Srikkanth on Shubman Gill

Srikkanth emphasized the importance of Shubman Gill proving himself on foreign soil, paralleling the standards set by a player like Virat Kohli. Kris Srikkanth also highlighted the need for other talented players like KL Rahul to step up and approach a significant portion of Virat Kohli's stature. 

"Shubman Gill has to perform well across the world. Scoring runs in the sub-continent alone doesn't help. He has to score runs overseas. Why are we calling Virat Kohli the King? Look at his record, even in the last year, be it Test matches, ODI or T20Is. Just look at his records. I have nothing more to say. Yes, I accept you can't produce a Virat Kohli every time. Everybody can't producing Virat Kohli (Kohli-like numbers). But you have to try and get to at least a bit of that stature," Srikkanth said on YouTube.

“I think the hype around Shubman Gill, quite a few are saying 'he is the next this, next that'. I think we will have to wait and see. I wouldn't overrate him, I wouldn't want to underestimate him,” Srikkanth added. 

As India faces crucial Test assignments in the coming months, particularly in South Africa and against England, Srikkanth emphasized the backing of the team management for Gill in the No. 3 role. The former opener urged Gill to focus on overseas performances to truly establish himself as a top-tier batsman.