Shubman the Magnificent- an emerging master craftsman

Peter Procopis | June 04, 2023

It was an innings for the ages. Shubman Gill’s match-winning century for the Gujarat Titans in the recent IPL Qualifying Final was electrifying. The young superstar was unstoppable as he set up his side’s victory and consequent place in the Final. His imperious 129 off a mere 60 balls was the highlight of a magnificent IPL campaign for India’s latest master batsman.

Gill’s footwork was nimble and his placement precise. But it was his timing that mesmerised those of us fortunate enough to watch his masterclass. It was sublime. Time and time again he struck the ball at the sweetest of spots in that superb bat swing of his. The cricket ball pinged off his bat as if it was a golf ball being launched from the tee by Rory McIlroy.

For an hour and a half of blue-chip cricket viewing, it felt like Gill was not only the Master of Ahmedabad and its 75,000 plus crowd, but of the entire cricket universe. The young maestro stylishly sent balls to all parts with the confidence and panache of a man ascending purposefully and inevitably towards the peak of his powers.

Gill made more stylish runs in the Final, finishing atop the IPL batting list with 890 runs. He made three centuries, averaged 59.33, and finished with a tournament strike rate of 157.80. They are heady numbers; a set of statistics that tell a story of sustained success against the most skilled short-form bowlers and Captains in the game.

Shubman’s magnificent 2023 IPL Season comes on the back of a set of strong Test and One-Day performances over recent years. The 23-year-old batting phenomenon is stylishly playing his way into the ever-smaller group of top flight batsmen who remain irresistible to selectors across all formats. Gill is rapidly becoming a batsman who can be discussed in the same sentences as the likes of Virat Kohli, David Warner, and A.B de Villiers- all of whom have been formidable, match-changing players regardless of the colour of the ball being used.

Interestingly, like the three master batsmen referred to above, Gill’s T20 game is built upon mastery of the fundamentals rather than any sort of funkiness or unorthodoxy. Like them, he sets up square to slightly open. By retaining that more traditional, classical alignment, Gill is able to crunch balls through the off-side more easily and effectively than those batsmen who adopt the increasingly common hyper-open stance. He also retains the ability to stroke and bomb balls through and over the on-side field.

Gill sets up his ‘camera’ square and level, spring loads his feet, and looks to score. His feet are mostly around shoulder width apart. Like the other three, he sometimes gets a little wider against the quicks depending upon how he feels at the time. For the most part, though, he sets up in a very simple, old-fashioned manner.

The young maestro uses a pure, neutral grip that enables him to generate maximum bat speed and purity of strike while also making deft touches easier to execute. His grip eliminates the need to compromise. It frees him up to watch the ball and react, confident in the knowledge that he has all options open each time he faces up. Not for him the axe-chopping, ‘weak’ (around to the left) left hand grip of many of the so-called ‘power-hitters’; nor the ‘strong’ (around to the right) left hand grip more common amongst the red ball specialists seeking more control of their bat face. Gill’s beautiful, neutral grip provides him with all of the control he needs over his bat face whilst also enabling him to generate the bat speed required to regularly pierce fields and clear boundary ropes.

Both A.B de Villiers a few years ago, and Virat Kohli more recently have spoken about the vital importance of sound basics for batsmen regardless of format. On the grip, de Villiers in particular has advocated a traditional, neutral set up with both Vs aimed down the middle of the bat. Each of the other two Greats also employ what can be classified as traditional grips, albeit with minor variations here and there. Kohli’s somewhat ‘stronger’ (around to the right) right hand grip is counteracted by a left-hand position that neutralises things superbly. Warner has more ‘separate’ hands than most of the Greats. Notwithstanding that, he still retains the all-important neutrality, enabling him to score all around the ground more easily than most.

Gill’s footwork is also strikingly simple and old-fashioned. Like the three Greats referred to above, he remains locked and loaded, poised for action, longer than most when playing spin. All four players have enough confidence in their footwork to set up and hold for that split second longer than most to assess the shape of the delivery before either springing forward or back to score. There is no fuss, or easily discernible ‘trigger’ movement against the spinners, apart from an almost imperceptible loading up of the right foot as it pushes into the ground, preparing Gill for advancement towards the pitch of the ball. Rarely are Gill, Kohli, de Villiers or Warner in No Man’s Land; rarely are they caught playing a spinner off a good length. If they can get close enough to the pitch to score off the front foot, they will. If not, they spring back dynamically onto the back foot to open up other scoring options.

Against the quicker bowlers, Gill, like the other three, often uses rhythmical, pre-delivery movements to release tension and prepare his body and mind for the special challenge posed by rapid bowling. Despite the small, idiosyncratic movements particular to each of the four players, they are all in very similar positions immediately prior to release, regardless of the format they are playing. Whatever has occurred in the lead-up to the Moment of Truth, each of them, including Gill make the magic move: they shift their weight down into the back foot and their front foot almost hovers in preparation for a shift forward to meet a full ball. From there, they will either move forward into a position to try to score or defend off the front foot or alternatively do the ‘double push’ by planting the front foot and pushing off it back to open up other scoring or defensive options.

Every delivery is unique. Gill, like the other greats, is set up to respond in an equally unique manner due to his increasing mastery over the fundamentals of stance, grip and footwork. That mastery of tried and tested basics and his ever-increasing confidence put Shubman the Magnificent well on his way to becoming a member of that small, very prestigious Club of international batsmen who regularly excel across all three formats.