"He plays like pure desi ghee" - Aakash Chopra lauds Shubman Gill's knock in IND vs PAK 2025 Champions Trophy clash

Former India player Aakash Chopra has praised Shubman Gill for playing a sublime knock in the Men in Blue's 2025 Champions Trophy win against Pakistan. He noted that the Indian opener had grown in stature over the last few years.

India bundled Pakistan out for 241 in a Group A game in Dubai on Sunday, February 23. Gill scored 46 runs off 52 deliveries in the chase to help his side register a six-wicket win with 45 deliveries to spare and virtually book a semi-final berth.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener lauded Gill for playing a pleasing knock.

"It won't be justifiable if we don't talk about Gill. The way he is playing, don't you feel he is now just growing in stature? The way he played the straight drives, hit shots after dancing down the wicket and played the pull shots, he was absolutely sensational. Of course, he got a chance. He didn't score a century but I am still praising him because he plays like pure desi ghee," he said (4:15).

Chopra added that the stylish batter has rectified his technical shortcomings.

"When he started playing, his foot used to go slightly across, he used to play slightly across, it seemed like the ball would hit his pads and he could get out. The attack also used to be slightly more on the legs but all that has changed. The front leg goes absolutely straight now and the balance is absolutely right. He plays the ball under his head," he explained.

Shubman Gill struck seven fours and looked comfortable in the middle throughout his innings. He had played an unbeaten 101-run knock in India's six-wicket win in their 2025 Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh on February 20.

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"It was a wicket-taking delivery" - Aakash Chopra on Shubman Gill's dismissal in IND vs PAK 2025 Champions Trophy clash

Shubman Gill was bowled by Abrar Ahmed in India's 2025 Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Shubman Gill fell prey to an excellent Abrar Ahmed delivery in Sunday's game.

"He plays so easily that you will feel calm, that this guy would keep standing and score runs. Of course, he got a very good ball from Abrar. It was just after the drinks. At times, there is a concentration lapse. It was a leg spin kind of delivery and he was playing Abrar for the first time. It was a wicket-taking delivery," he said (5:10).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Gill was ready to take the ODI king's mantle from Virat Kohli once the latter relinquishes the throne.

"However, Shubman Gill is now continuously growing in stature and is showing that another guy is ready when the emperor says he wants to vacate the throne. I will once again say as a broken record that if Gill plays 250 ODIs, he will finish as one of the greatest of all time," Chopra observed.

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 off 111 deliveries in India's 2025 Champions Trophy win against Pakistan. He added 69 runs for the second wicket with Shubman Gill and 114 runs for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer (56 off 67) to help the Men in Blue register a relatively easy win.