Gill delivered another standout performance, scoring 84 off 44 balls in GT’s 77-run victory over Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on May 9.
“Shubman Gill has become consistency’s second name because he has had seven consecutive seasons with 400-plus runs, and an updated and upgraded version has come this year, where he is batting aggressively, whether it’s hitting a straight six against Jofra Archer or taking down Josh Hazlewood. He is taking down the big guns,” Chopra said.
The former India opener further emphasized that captaincy has not affected Gill’s batting form, rather it has elevated his overall game. He pointed out that Gill has now joined an elite list of players with seven straight IPL seasons of 400-plus runs.
“Seven consecutive seasons—only Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan had done that, and he is the third. It’s very difficult to maintain such consistency, especially while leading a team. Captaincy usually adds pressure, but that hasn’t been the case with him,” he added.
Chopra also praised Gill’s bold leadership decisions in IPL 2026, particularly his use of bowlers in the powerplay. He highlighted how Gill has frequently backed pacers Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada to bowl multiple overs upfront, even after expensive first overs.
“Rabada was hit in his first over, but Gill still brought him back and trusted him. That shows his fearless mindset. He is not thinking too much about consequences; he goes all in,” Chopra explained.
In the match against RR, Rabada initially went for 15 runs in his first over, but Gill’s trust paid off as the pacer returned to take key wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer later in the innings.
