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Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill is once again ruling the ongoing IPL 2026 with his excellent batting and calm leadership. While many young batsmen have been trying to play fearless cricket in the tournament, Shubman Gill has continued to impress everyone with his stylish shots, consistency and smart game awareness.
Ahead of Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2026 clash with Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on May 16, former Indian fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji has made a big statement on Gill and even compared his batting style to that of legendary batsman Rohit Sharma.
Shubhman Gill continues his dominance in IPL 2026 as Gujarat Titans move closer to the playoffs
Shubman Gill has been one of the biggest reasons behind Gujarat Titans’ strong IPL 2024 campaign so far. The right-handed batsman has already scored 467 runs in 11 matches at an impressive strike rate of over 158.
He has also handled the captaincy brilliantly, leading GT to victory in 8 of their 12 matches this season. They are now just one win away from securing a place in the IPL 2026 playoffs.
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Well, Gill’s IPL journey started with KKR after shining in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, but his struggles led to his release in 2022.
But things changed after Gujarat Titans signed him in the mega auction in 2022 and he became one of the most dangerous top-order batsmen in the IPL.
At Gujarat Titans, Gill has been unstoppable, scoring over 400 runs in each IPL season at an excellent strike rate of over 146.
Lakshmipathy Balaji compares Shubman Gill with Rohit Sharma after great form in IPL 2026
Meanwhile, Lakshmipathy Balaji was extremely impressed with the way Gill has transformed himself in the IPL over the last few years. The former fast bowler feels that the Indian captain’s batting style, especially his brilliant backfoot shots, timing and control, reminds him a lot of Rohit Sharma.
Balaji said on Star Sports, “He is a classic cricketer who bats with ease. He is a younger version of Rohit Sharma. Like Rohit, he is dynamic, has time to spare and plays the backfoot cover drive. His playing traditional cricket, but at a high strike rate with consistency, has impressed the team a lot. He is an improved player with back-to-back excellent seasons.”
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Lakshmipathy Balaji impressed with Sai Sudarshan’s mature batting approach
Meanwhile, one of GT’s biggest strengths this season has been their dangerous opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarshan. They have been the backbone of GT. Balaji praised Sudarshan for his consistent performance in the tournament over the years.
The left-handed batsman had a slow start but came back strongly and crossed the 500-run mark for the third consecutive IPL season. Sai has scored 501 runs in 12 matches this season at an average of more than 41 and a strike rate of more than 155.
The cricket pundit said, “He is in a great form at the moment. He plays traditional cricket and takes his time without hitting big shots. His cover drives show that he is a player in control. His maturity shows in the fact that he tries to play the full 20 overs and maximize it. He seems to play multiple roles for the team. After failing in the first three matches, he has bounced back so fast to become the first player to score 500 runs this season. Made improvements.”