Unperturbed by the outside noise, Shubman Gill returned to scoring ways in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) with a series of crucial knocks against Ben Stokes’ England. India’s No.3 batter smashed a match-changing century in the 2nd Test against the visitors in Visakhapatnam. Gill then played a stroke-filled knock in the 3rd Test to seal Virat Kohli-less India’s record win over England’s Bazballers at Rajkot.
With Jasprit Bumrah-less Team India arriving in Ranchi for the fourth Test, Gill gave legendary cricketer MS Dhoni a special mention at the pre-match press conference on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters days before the 4th Test in Ranchi, Gill said that the entire nation still misses Dhoni, who called time on his trophy-laden international career back in 2020. The legendary cricketer will make his return to competitive cricket in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The IPL 2024 is expected to be Dhoni’s T20 swansong.
‘Entire India misses Mahi Bhai’: Shubman Gill on MS Dhoni
“The whole of India misses Mahi bhai a lot. It doesn’t matter where you play, in Ranchi or anywhere else,” Gill told reporters. Gill’s heartwarming statement about Thala Dhoni became an instant hit among the fans and followers of the game on social media.
The heartbeat of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Dhoni was in his den when India outclassed South Africa at CSA International Stadium Complex in the 2019 Test match. Dhoni was seen giving a pep talk to Indian spinner Shahbaz Nadeem at the time. Dhoni also posed for a picture with former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri after India recorded its maiden Test series clean sweep over the Proteas in Ranchi.
VIDEO: What Shubman Gill said about MS Dhoni
“The entire India misses Mahi bhai. It does not matter where we play, in Ranchi or anywhere in the world”
– Shubman Gill pic.twitter.com/SbN6bSp7Da
— ` (@WorshipDhoni) February 21, 2024
Gill about his own expectations
Coming back to Gill’s recent run in the five-match Test series, the premier batter is the second-highest run-getter for the Asian giants after opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Gill played a stellar knock of 91 off 151 balls as Team India crushed England to hand its biggest defeat since 1934.
The 24-year-old has amassed 252 runs in 6 innings for India against England. “It is a bit tough (living up to his own expectations). When people from outside talk about all those things, it does not make much difference to me. But the expectations that I kept on myself made me a bit disappointed,” Gill added.
