Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel hailed Shubman Gill for playing a knock of 46 runs and missing a century. He has lauded Gill and said that India would have been 130 if the opener had not stayed till 15 overs.

After India set a 168-run target at the Carrara Oval in Gold Coast, Australia, India bowled out Australia for 119 runs, winning by 45 runs. During an interaction on Star Sports’ show Follow the Blues, former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel lauded Shubman Gill for playing a well-paced knock that suited the match conditions perfectly.

“If this match had been played at the Wankhede, in Ahmedabad, or at the Chinnaswamy, people would have focused on his strike rate — saying he scored only 46 runs off nearly 40 balls,” Parthiv said. “But on this pitch, you needed someone like Gill to bat till the 14th or 15th over. Otherwise, the team’s total of 167 would have been closer to 130.”

He pointed out that India’s 48-run victory highlighted how challenging the conditions were. “It wasn’t a 220-run wicket. The margin of 48 runs in a 160-run game, with the opposition getting bowled out, shows that batting wasn’t easy,” he added.

Gill was eventually dismissed by Nathan Ellis on the first ball of the 15th over, with India’s score at 121. Later, Axar Patel’s quickfire cameo of 21* off 11 balls helped the hosts post a total of over 160.

Parthiv also praised Gill’s adaptability, noting that the opener started aggressively before shifting gears to suit the surface. “Gill managed himself extremely well based on the pitch. He understood what kind of batting was required. It’s not like he didn’t play shots—he did so early on,” Parthiv said.

The Gujarat Titans assistant coach further criticised fans who trolled Gill for his strike rate. “After the power play, he focused on building his innings. Those who are trolling him should understand that respecting conditions is part of good batting. Today’s innings showed that,” he observed.

Gill scored 23 runs off his first 15 balls, hitting four boundaries, before settling into a more controlled rhythm. His only six came off the 36th delivery he faced, reflecting his calculated approach on a tough wicket.