Champions Trophy: Ashwin lauds Shubman Gill's technique against Shaheen Afridi
What's the story
Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has lavished praise on batter Shubman Gill's batting technique.
The adulation came after Gill's stunning performance against Shaheen Afridi in the Pakistan vs India match of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai.
In the match, Gill exhibited his sublime form, scoring 46 runs off 52 balls, including seven boundaries.
India successfully chased down 242 to win the fixture.
Teamwork
How Gill tackled Afridi
Gill's smart game was also evident in his match-defining 69-run stand with Virat Kohli for the second wicket. India lose Rohit Sharma in the first powerplay.
On his YouTube show 'Ash ki baat,' Ashwin broke down Gill's technique against Afridi.
He observed how Gill had set himself up for a short ball on one delivery but immediately shifted his balance and flicked it away, showing his adaptability and skill.
Performance
Gill's outstanding form in ODIs
Notably, Gill has been in phenomenal form in ODIs this year, having racked up 406 runs from five innings at an incredible average of 101.50 and a strike-rate of 94.19.
He has scored two centuries and as many half-centuries.
He started his Champions Trophy run with a match-winning century (101 off 129) against Bangladesh, further establishing himself as India's key player.
Praise
Ashwin hails Gill as 'absolute gold dust'
Ashwin also praised Gill for his century against Bangladesh in the ongoing Champions Trophy, calling him "absolute gold dust" in one-day cricket.
Despite earlier questioning Gill's ability in white-ball cricket, Ashwin feels he has now answered everyone.
"Many people were discussing when the Champions Trophy squad was announced... But after every match, he's replying to them," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.