Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth calls Shubman Gill 'overrated' after poor performances

Former World Cup-winning cricketer Kris Srikkanth has criticized Shubman Gill’s place in the Indian Test team, calling him an “overrated cricketer.” Srikkanth questioned the young batter’s consistent selection, especially after his disappointing performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Shubman Gill, who is currently India’s No. 3 batter in Test cricket, struggled throughout the series, failing to score more than 40 runs in any of the five innings he played. His poor form has sparked discussions about his place in the team, with many calling for him to be dropped from the Test squad.

In a video, Srikkanth didn’t hold back in his criticism of Gill. The former India opener stated, “I’ve always maintained that Shubman Gill is an overrated cricketer, but nobody listened to me. He is a highly overrated cricketer.” He further questioned why Gill has been given a long run in the team despite his underwhelming performances, drawing comparisons to Suryakumar Yadav, who was dropped after just one Test match.

Srikkanth argued, “When Gill is getting this much of a long rope, some people might wonder whether even players like Suryakumar Yadav could have been given a longer rope in Tests. Suryakumar didn’t have a very good start in Tests, but he has the technique and ability. But the selectors and management have now boxed him into a white-ball specialist.”

While Srikkanth was critical of Gill’s selection, he backed other emerging talents like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan. “Ruturaj Gaikwad has been doing wonderfully in first-class cricket, but they’ve not bothered to pick him. Meanwhile, someone like Sai Sudharsan has been lighting it up in ‘A’ tours. You have to promote these kinds of talents. Instead, they are running around in circles by picking Gill,” Srikkanth observed.

Srikkanth also pointed out that Gill’s performances outside Asia have been inconsistent, which has raised concerns about his ability to perform on challenging conditions in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries. “Gill is surviving because he gets ten chances and scores on the tenth chance after nine failures. Anyone can amass runs on Indian wickets. The challenge is scoring away from home, and that’s where players like KL Rahul pass the test,” he said.

Gill’s recent form has been underwhelming, particularly in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. He managed to score only 93 runs in three Tests at an average of 18.60, with scores of 13, 20, 1, 28, and 31. While Gill had a solid start to his Test career, including a vital 91 in India’s historic win at the Gabba in 2021, his form outside Asia has been a concern. Since the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Gill has struggled, averaging just 17.64 across 18 Test innings.