3 problems Shubman Gill would have solved for KKR had he been retained ahead of the IPL mega auction last year

Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Shubman Gill has been exceptional with the bat for his franchise in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 16 matches, he has slammed 851 runs at an average of 60.79 and a strike rate of 156.43. The 23-year-old has three tons and four half-centuries to his name this season.

With his third hundred, which came in Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gill went past Faf Du Plessis (730 runs) and became the leading run-getter in IPL 2023. The right-handed batter struck seven fours and 10 sixes as GT posted an impressive 233/3 and then restricted MI to 171.

Gill will now be seen in action when Gujarat take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2023 final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 28. He was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise from 2018 to 2021 but was signed by GT ahead of the 2022 season.

In hindsight, we analyze three problems Gill would have solved for KKR had he been retained by the franchise.

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#1 Gill would have provided stability at the top of the order

Jason Roy lacked support at the top of the order. (Pic: iplt20.com)

One of the problem areas for KKR in IPL 2023 was the lack of consistency from their opening pair. They tried out various combinations at the top of the order, but barring Jason Roy, none of the others could make a significant impact.

While Roy contributed 285 runs in eight matches at an average of 35.63 and an impressive strike rate of 151.59, N Jagadeesan had a forgettable campaign. He managed only 89 runs in six matches at an average of 14.83 and a strike rate of 109.87.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was also inconsistent. In 11 matches, he scored 227 runs at an average of 20.64 and a strike rate of 133.52. He was even moved into the middle order towards the end of KKR’s IPL 2023 campaign, but there wasn’t much change in his fortunes.

Kolkata also tried Mandeep Singh and Venkatesh Iyer at the top of the order but without much success.

Gill’s presence at the top of the order would have provided stability to the batting. The franchise would have had the liberty of knowing that they had at least one highly dependable opener. This definitely wasn’t the case for them in IPL 2023.

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#2 He would have shifted gears depending on the situation

Shubman Gill represented KKR from 2018 to 2021. (Pic: BCCI)

Another area where KKR struggled in IPL 2023 was the lack of acceleration in the middle overs. Because they often got off to poor starts, they had to be comparatively watchful after the powerplay.

In games where Jason Roy and Venkatesh Iyer did well, KKR got some momentum. But mostly, it was a case of Rinku Singh trying to make a match out of nothing. Commendably, he still managed to win a couple of games for his franchise with some heroic batting efforts.

Gill’s presence would have made a huge difference since he has been literally batting for 20 overs in the games that he has got his eye in. What has been amazing about the elegance-personified batter has been the manner in which he has been able to shift gears.

If we look at his batting graph in Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians, the right-handed batter was 37 after having faced 26 balls. However, he went absolutely berserk in the next few overs and raced to 100 off 49 balls.

When he gets going, Gill is literally unstoppable and he was the kind of player KKR needed to shore up their batting.

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#3 Would have allowed KKR more flexibility with overseas options

KKR had a disappointing IPL 2023 campaign. (Pic: iplt20.com)

Since KKR used Roy and Gurbaz as two of their opening options, they were only left with two other overseas spots in the playing XI. The West Indies duo of Sunil Narine and Andre Russell became automatic choices for the other two overseas slots.

Here again, Gill’s presence could have made a big difference. The youngster opening the batting would have given Kolkata flexibility with overseas options. The likes of Tim Southee, David Wiese, and Lockie Ferguson could have featured in more matches for KKR in IPL 2023.

During his stint with Kolkata, Gill scored 1417 runs in 58 matches at an average of 31.48 and a strike rate of 123, with 10 fifties.

The numbers weren’t exceptional, but one can only wonder whether KKR have a hint of regret over releasing the batter who has recently turned into a run machine.