"This is the worst possible time that you want to miss matches" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Shubman Gill getting ruled out of IND vs AFG World Cup clash

Sanjay Manjrekar feels Shubman Gill's absence from India's World Cup 2023 clash against Afghanistan is a bigger blow to the player than the team.

The two sides will lock horns in Delhi on Wednesday, October 11. Gill, who missed the Men in Blue's tournament opener against Australia due to illness, has not traveled with the team to Delhi and instead stayed back in Chennai.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Manjrekar was asked about his thoughts on Gill getting ruled out of the Afghanistan game as well, to which he responded:

"Disappointing for him personally more than the team because the team has enough options to continue to be strong, and we saw that in the first game as well. The team is strong and good enough to beat all the oppositions despite Shubman Gill not being there."

The former Indian batter added:

"Having said that, Shubman Gill just makes the team even more stronger and the kind of form that he has been in, you want to cash in. This is the worst possible time that you want to miss matches and it's been beyond his control."

Manjrekar acknowledged that fans will be disappointed about not getting to watch the stylish batter. He elaborated:

"What I will say though is that the fans, people who come to the ground and the people who watch on TV, will miss him because this guy is extremely watchable. He gets runs beautifully, so it's fun to watch. So that aspect will be lost but I don't see India in trouble too much."

Gill has amassed 1917 runs at an average of 66.10 in 35 ODIs. He has performed even better this year, having smashed 1230 runs at an average of 72.35 in 20 games.

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"He is a beautiful elegant cricketer" - Simon Doull on Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill has struck five ODI centuries this year. [P/C: BCCI]

In the same discussion, former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull added light-heartedly:

"He is quite annoying, isn't he? He is a beautiful elegant cricketer. He has got a sculptured body. He is quite an annoying character. I have got a bit of a man crush. He is a really, really talented cricketer."

The erstwhile New Zealand seamer pointed out that Shubman Gill's special talent was evident even when he represented India in the Under-19 World Cup. He stated:

"I saw him first in that Under-19 World Cup back in New Zealand and he just looked absolute class. I thought at that stage this kid might go somewhere. He does have a lot of ability. I love watching him bat. A lot of people do love watching him bat. India will welcome him back when he does come back but health first and foremost."

Gill amassed 372 runs at an outstanding average of 124.00 and an equally impressive strike rate of 112.38 in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. His silken strokeplay earned him plaudits from many cricket experts and he was earmarked as a future superstar of Indian cricket.