Impressed with the batting technique of Gill, de Villiers said, as Indian Express quoted, “His technique and style is quite simple and basic generally what you say about some of the best players in the world.”

“You get some exceptions like Steve Smith, who has got a very different technique, he jumps across the crease, gets down the wicket or out of the crease in the line of the bowlers channels specifically in the Test cricket but he also dies in the ODIs,” he added.

Stating that Gill is much more traditional and has a very straightforward technique, de Villiers said, “He doesn’t try a lot of different things. He does have a lot of strength where he can change the gears and put a lot of pressure on the bowlers.”

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“In the IPL we saw that front arm pull off relatively full length which wasn’t even short. He has got this incredible ability to picking up the length very quickly. You generally see that with some of the best players in the world and Shubman is very quickly becoming one of them,” he added.

“He is still young, which is incredible because he looks like an experienced campaigner already. We will hear a lot about him in the future and this World Cup as I think he will be the top run scorer,” de Villiers said.

Citing the inclusion of R Ashwin as unbelievable and a warning sign for the other teams, de Villiers said India has a strong squad compared to other teams.

“Unbelievable move. Not so good for the other teams. Experienced, smart, plays the big moments well. He has got an incredible skill and understands his game with both bat and ball,” de Villiers said.

“He is a great addition to the team I don’t know why he was not there in the first place. I am a big fan, he is always a bit controversial but plays to win. He always gets a big impact on the game,” he said, adding, “He loves to have the ball in his hand in the pressure moments, never shy away from big moments.”

ICC ODI World Cup 2023 begins on 5 October and the first match will be played between defending champion England and New Zealand.

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Updated: 26 Sep 2023, 03:49 PM IST