Varun Aaron praises Shubman Gill’s ‘smooth’ knock in AUS vs IND 2025 1st T20I

Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron showered praise on Shubman Gill for his impressive knock in the first T20I against Australia at the Manuka Oval, Canberra on Wednesday.  The match was abandoned due to rain as India managed 97-1 in 9.4 overs.

Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten knock of 37 runs off 20 balls with the help of four fours and one six. But there were questions raised on Gill’s form in the T20I format after he could only manage 127 runs in seven matches of the Asia Cup.

Gill added 62 runs off just 35 balls with Suryakumar Yadav before rain played killjoy in the opening game of the series.

Varun Aaron said on Star Sports, “It’s very easy for him to adapt because his technique is more or less the same. He doesn’t really change through formats. We obviously saw him put in a lot of hard yards before the England Test series. That gave him the rewards, and then to shift gears from one-day to T20 cricket in today’s day and age shouldn’t be difficult at all,” the former India pacer said.

The former RCB bowler compared Gill with Rolls-Royce and said he played effortlessly with a strike rate of 185 by hitting the ball in the gaps.

“We saw Shubman Gill just operating like a Rolls-Royce. Smooth as ever, just effortless, 185 strike rate. A lot of people in world cricket, we would see them stepping out and trying to hoick it over midwicket and play some big shots, but all Shubman does is just put it in the gaps,” he added.

On the other hand, former Indian wicket-keeper bat Parthiv Patel said Shubman Gill didn’t look in trouble, though he didn’t score enough runs in the ODI series against Australia. Gill could only manage 43 runs in three ODIs against Australia.

“The way he was playing in the ODIs, although we judge people on the runs they score, in all three matches, it never seemed like he was in trouble. He actually plays like this. He took two runs off the first two balls. Then he tried to play a big shot,” he said.

The second T20I between Australia and India will be played at the MCG on Friday.