xtratime Logo

XtraTime Web Desk: Indian cricket's young sensation Shubman Gill has the ability to bat at any position but if he is given a choice, then the next big thing in Indian cricket would prefer to open regularly in the shortest format of the game.

Gill, one of the batting mainstays of Kolkata Knight Riders, spoke to PTI on a range of issues including the pressure of expectations, his interactions with team co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his mentor Yuvraj Singh's contribution during the off season.

"If I was given an option, I would prefer to open the innings," the 21-year-old answered when asked if he would like to go out there at the start with the flamboyant Sunil Narine.

A batsman to look forward to in the post Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma generation, Gill is considered one of the finest talents among his peers even keeping his U-19 captain Prithvi Shaw in mind.

Does it weigh too much when he is out there in the middle? "I don't think it really weighs on me that much, because when I go in to bat the only thing that stays in the mind is how I would score runs in a particular situation.

"In my mind, the only goal is to win matches for whichever team I am playing," added Gill, who has an impressive strike-rate of nearly 135 from 37 T20 games.

Gill feels that UAE tracks will have some kind of similarity with Indian pitches and the bat speed won't change much considering the slowish nature of the wicket. The IPL begins September 19.

"No, I don't think we need to change to any kind of specific bats (in terms of weight), because in India we are used to playing on slow pitches. You need to adapt and I believe I can play on all kinds of surfaces," he said.

Courtesy: PTI