Kevin Pietersen picks out-of-form Indian batter to be standout player at T20 World Cup 2024

It has been a tough outing for young India batter Shubman Gill in recent times. In his last 11 Test innings, Gill has not been able to breach the 50-run mark. With Yashasvi Jaiswal opening the innings along with skipper Rohit Sharma, Gill has now been slotted in the number three position. The change in the batting order has not helped Gill much. The 24-year-old did not have a fruitful outing in the Test series opener against England. Gill was dismissed for 23 in the first innings of the game played in Hyderabad.

The scene did not change much in the second innings as Gill returned to the dressing room without scoring a single run. Needless to say, this unimpressive string of performances has put Gill under enormous pressure and now former England captain Kevin Pietersen has shared his views on this matter.

Pietersen has backed Gill to produce an impressive performance in the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played later this year in June. During an interaction with the Times of India, Pietersen predicted that Gill could very well be a star performer in the competition. When asked to name one cricketer who could play a standout role in the tournament Pietersen stated, “It is Shubman Gill. He is the guy.”

Gill will be handling the leadership duties of Gujarat Titans in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Gill was named captain of the side after Mumbai Indians roped in former Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya. It is being learnt that ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup, Gill’s performances with the bat and his leadership skills will be closely monitored.

The next edition of the T20 World Cup will return to the West Indies. The last time West Indies had hosted the event was back in 2010 and England were crowned champions back then. Recalling that event, Pietersen stated that winning the silverware in 2010 was quite special. “Winning the World Cup in the Caribbean against Australia in the middle of the Barbados crowd was very special,” the 43-year-old said.

Pietersen had won the Player of the Tournament award back then having scored 248 runs which comprises a brilliant knock of 47 off 31 balls against Australia in the final.