"Shubman Gill is like the class topper who prepares a lot before the exam" - Gurkeerat Singh Mann 

Punjab batter Gurkeerat Singh Mann has revealed the process behind in-form Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill's preparations for batting before every match.

Gill has been in red-hot form in the ongoing IPL 2023. He has scored 680 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 152.47, including four fifties and two centuries.

Gill finished the league stage as the second most run-getter behind Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis (730). He enters the IPL 2023 playoffs riding on high confidence from his back-to-back centuries against Sunrisers Hyderabad (101) and RCB (104*).

While speaking to Indian Express in an interview, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, who has been teammates with Shubman Gill in Punjab's domestic side, spoke about the prodigious batter's preparation. Gurkeerat told Indian Express:

"He prepares a lot before every match. He set his areas where he can hit a certain bowler. He watches the videos of all the bowlers. He goes big in the pre-match preparation."

Mann added:

"For example, the next match is at Chepauk. He has started training in the nets according to the dimensions of the Chepauk. He visualises everything and it gives him an advantage on the match day. He is like the class topper, who prepares a lot before the exam."

"Shubman Gill has worked on his power game as well" - Gurkeerat Singh Mann

Shubman Gill has had a monumental 2023. He achieved his maiden double-hundred and maiden T20I ton early in January during the home bilateral series against New Zealand.

The Punjab-born cricketer had played just three One-Day internationals in his initial phase (2019-2020) and shuffled in and out of the Test side before making his T20I debut this year.

Explaining how Shubman Gill developed a wide range of shots under his belt and improve his power-hitting game, Gurkeerat Mann said:

"He developed the short-arm jab and the slap shot he plays through the covers over the period of time. In junior cricket, he was very thin and never had that power. He has worked on his power game as well."

Mann added:

"The range of power strokes he has developed is after the initial failure he has gone through in his international career. It was the first time, when he struggled for runs, but the work never stopped and he came back a better player."

Gurkeerat Singh Mann is currently one of the Punjabi language commentators for JioCinema in the ongoing IPL 2023.