"Everything's coming together for him" - Sanjay Manjrekar predicts a big Champions Trophy 2025 for Indian batter

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar reckons that in-form batter Shubman Gill could be one of the standout performers in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. According to Manjrekar, the ICC event could make people notice the young Indian batter's talent a lot more in comparison to some of the other players.

Gill was the Player of the Series in the three-match ODI series against England at home, which concluded on Wednesday, February 12, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The elegant batter notched up his seventh ODI ton in the third and final match of the series in Ahmedabad. Before that, he scored 87 and 60 in the first two games in Nagpur and Cuttack, respectively.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar opined that Gill could have a fantastic Champions Trophy 2025 if he keeps batting in the same vein. Praising the 25-year-old, the former India batter commented:

"What really stood out in that performance today was how easily he got to his hundred. I have seen in the past [Sachin] Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, when you look up and you think the batter is on 60 or 70. He's got a hundred. This is the hallmark of an exceptional player in 50-over cricket.

"This is the tournament [Champions Trophy] which will perhaps make us notice Shubman Gill even more in comparison to all the others who'll also turn up. It seems at this stage he's able to balance his game of attack, defense and rotating the strike better than T20 cricket and Test cricket that we saw in Australia," the 59-year-old added.

Manjrekar admitted that Gill the Test batter is still a work in progress, but asserted that his ODI game is very well organized. He elaborated:

"At this stage of his career, which is still very young, I think everything's coming together for him in 50 overs cricket. I am sure his ambitions are greater and he wants to make an impact and become a great player in Test matches, so also T20 cricket."

Gill was the leading run-getter in the ODI series against England. In three matches, he scored 259 runs at an average of 86.33 and a strike rate of 103.60.

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Shubman Gill's impressive white-ball numbers for India

Gill has played 50 ODIs for India and has scored 2,587 runs at an average of 60.16 and a strike rate of 101.93, with seven hundreds and 15 fifties. In T20Is, he has featured in 21 matches and has scored 578 runs at a strike rate of 139.27, with one hundred and three half-centuries to his name.