Whenever the term ‘Finishing’ comes to cricket, the first name that pops up in our mind is Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Throughout his cricket journey, there have been several instances where Dhoni has helped his team to get the difficult targets standing alone till the end. Many of the batters try to take the game to the last over, but the temperament Dhoni shows is something that can’t be achieved any time soon by any other batter.
The former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has offered some advice to Shubman Gill after his dismissal in a match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). Manjrekar suggested that Gill should learn from the experience and aim to finish matches in the future. He used MS Dhoni as an example, stating that if a batsman chooses to take the game deep, it is their responsibility to see it through until the end.
In match number 18 of the Indian Premier League, in Mohali, Gujarat Titans beat Punjab Kings by six wickets. Shubman Gill played a crucial role by scoring 67 off 49 balls. However, he was dismissed in the final over and then Rahul Tewatia hit a boundary to take his team across the line.
While speaking to ESPNCricinfo, after the match, Sanjay Manjrekar said, “Champion teams are those who are mindful of their weak areas even when winning matches and tackle the same. Against KKR, there was a clear lesson for Gujarat that on a good pitch doesn’t play with only five bowlers.”
“From this game, the takeaway is that if a batter is set, he should try and finish the game in the 18th or 19th over. If you are taking it till the end, show a temperament like MS Dhoni and don’t get out. Shubman Gill might be asked how the game went to the 20th over. Sai Sudharsan scored at a strike rate of around 100. David Miller was also rather quiet.”
