"Shubman Gill is a fantastic guy with a great understanding of the game" - Kane Williamson heaps praise on his Gujarat Titans teammate

Shubman Gill has been arguably the most in-form batter in the world, averaging over 60 in 18 innings across formats in 2023. He will hold the key to the Gujarat Titans' top order as they look to defend their Indian Premier League (IPL) title in the upcoming season.

The Titans were pitted to be one of the lower-ranked teams a year ago but proved most doubters wrong by winning the IPL. They also made some shrewd moves at the mini-auction a few months ago, which includes picking up ace batter Kane Williamson.

The New Zealand limited-overs skipper will join Shubman Gill at the top of the order for the Titans. With the start of the tournament just two days away, Kane spoke about Shubman Gill and had high praise for the Indian opener.

The 32-year-old was quoted on the social media handle of the Gujarat Titans saying:

"Shubman Gill is a really strong competitor. I'm sure he will learn a lot from a number of leaders he plays under. He is a fantastic guy with a great understanding of the game."

Kane Williamson missed the recent tour of India as part of workload management. Shubman Gill set the world alight with scintillating performances in the ODI and T20 series, including a double hundred in the first ODI in Hyderabad and a century in the T20 series decider.

He was the leading run-scorer in the ODI and T20 series as the Men in Blue emerged victorious.

"Shubman Gill is the X-factor for the team" - Aaron Finch gives his verdict on the Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2023

The 16th edition of the IPL will get underway in two days and several experts have previewed the teams, their strengths, weaknesses, and possible starting lineups.

Former Australian captain and opening batter Aaron Finch previewed the defending champions Gujarat Titans for the Star Sports network. He stated that the Titans rely heavily on the in-form Indian opener at the top of the order.

The 36-year-old Australian said:

"I think a concern area for Gujarat Titans will be their top order if Shubman Gill does not fire. Shubman Gill is the X-factor for the team. We know how freely he can score, he is such a damaging player and when he gets in, he goes really big. If he fires, their middle order will function very well and they will be very hard to beat."

He added:

"They have got a lot of firepower and a lot of experience in that middle order and a huge amount of power, but if they get in too early, they will be in trouble. The player to watch out this year for Gujarat Titans will be David Miller."

Finch also spoke highly of Gujarat's pace attack and how its variety is suited to any surface across the country.

"The biggest strength for Gujarat Titans is the depth in their fast bowling and their experience. They can juggle around the players to find the perfect combination based on different surfaces."

The defending champions will be in action in the season opener of the IPL against four-time champions Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on Friday, March 31.