'Has potential to become as big as Virat and Sachin': Robin Uthappa heaps massive praise on 23-year-old GT star

The Gujarat Titans are dominating the ongoing IPL 2023 season with an impressive nine wins in 13 matches played so far. This has secured them a place in the playoffs for the second season in a row, with a whopping 18 points. In fact, they have even earned the right to finish at the top of the IPL 2023 points table. This is a remarkable feat, considering that seven other teams are still fighting for the remaining three spots.

It's worth noting that the Gujarat Titans have a history of success in the IPL. In the previous season, which was their first in the cash-rich league, the Hardik Pandya-led side finished at the top and went on to win the title. This year, they seem to be on track to repeat that success.

The key to the Gujarat Titans' success lies in the combined good performances from both their batters and bowlers. Shubman Gill has been leading the run-getters chart with an impressive 576 runs to his name from 13 matches, which is the second-highest in the league. Meanwhile, Mohmmaed Shami and Rashid Khan have been leading the highest wicket-takers chart with 23 wickets each. Mohit Sharma has also been a valuable asset to the team, having dismissed 17 batters in 10 appearances.

Gill has been in exceptional form for GT, particularly in their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium where he scored his first IPL century. This was his sixth triple-digit score this year, demonstrating his consistent performance. Gill has already achieved at least one century in all three formats of the game, making him a versatile and valuable player. Additionally, he made history by becoming the youngest batter to score a double century in ODIs, achieving this feat on January 18 against New Zealand in Hyderabad where he scored an impressive 208 from 149 balls. 

Gill's exceptional performance in 2023 has solidified his position as India's next batting superstar. Former Men in Blue batter, Robin Uthappa, believes that the 23-year-old has the potential to reach the same level of success as Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.

"I definitely see him having the potential of becoming someone as big as Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar. I certainly think he has got the stuff. He is a phenomenal player who is in exceptional form and is playing some exceptional cricket at the moment," the right-handed batter was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

Uthappa also mentioned Rajasthan Royals' Yashasvi Jaiswal and predicted that both he and Shubman Gill would become the next big names in Indian cricket. Uthappa confidently stated, "Personally, I believe that Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the two upcoming stars of Indian cricket." With their impressive skills and potential, it's no surprise that these two young players are being touted as the future of Indian cricket.

READ| IPL 2023: Liam Livingstone's vivid knock goes in vain as Delhi Capitals beat Punjab Kings by 15 runs