New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) Former India spinner Anil Kumble praised skipper Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan for their match-winning performances in Gujarat Titans’ commanding 77-run victory over Rajasthan Royals on Saturday describing Gill as one of the most elegant batters in modern cricket and highlighting Rashid’s return to bowling with greater pace.

Gill once again led Gujarat’s batting effort with a composed 84 as the visitors posted a massive 229/4 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Rashid then dismantled Rajasthan’s chase with a superb spell of 4-33 as the hosts were bowled out for 152 in 16.3 overs.

Speaking after the match, Kumble hailed Gill’s ability to combine control with consistency at the top of the order.

“Shubman Gill is one of the most pleasing batters to watch in modern cricket. There is nothing overly flashy about his game. He relies on playing each ball on its merit. Even when he goes for big shots, he remains in complete cpntrol. That is what separates him from many power hitters,” Kumble told Jio Hotstar.

Kumble added that Gill’s greatest strength lies in his ability to convert starts into substantial innings, something that allows Gujarat to consistently post imposing totals.

“The best part of his batting is his ability to bat deep. Once he is set, he takes the game deep and converts starts into long, impactful innings. When your top-order batter does that, it puts the team in a very strong position. It becomes much easier to push the total past 200. That is exactly what we saw from Shubman Gill against Rajasthan Royals,” he added.

Kumble also analysed Rashid’s bowling performance in detail, saying the Afghanistan spinner looked far more threatening because of his increased pace through the air.

“Rashid Khan attacked the stumps relentlessly and executed his plans to perfection. He’s a bowler who loves bowling quicker through the air but last season and even in the first half of this IPL season, he had reduced his pace, and that affected his effectiveness. Against RR, however, his pace was spot on,” Kumble said.

According to Kumble, Rashid’s quicker, skidding deliveries remain his biggest weapon in T20 cricket because they rush batters into errors rather than relying solely on spin or flight.

“He beat most of the batters with pure speed rather than relying on flight or turn. Most spinners deceive batters by looping the ball in the air. Rashid does it by rushing them with extra pace. That has always been his strength. When he bowls those quicker, skidding deliveries that go away from the batter, it creates confusion and often leads to mistakes,” he added.

–IANS

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