15 November - Mumbai - India player Shubman Gill post-match press conference
[Reporter:]
The way you were batting, there were two centuries made - did you feel you would have also scored a century if you hadn't cramped?
[Shubman Gill:]
If I didn't get cramp, maybe I would have scored 100. But I think, the total we were trying to reach, irrespective of whether I scored 100 or not, we reached there and had a hope of scoring around 400. We had expectations, that till the 25th – 30th over we should have scored these many runs and we did that, so it didn’t matter that I made a century or not.
[Reporter:]
There was some controversy about the pitch. Did that impact the Indian team or the Indian players? Did you guys have a talk?
[Shubman Gill:]
I just found out that there was a controversy about the pitch. You told me. What was the controversy?
[Reporter:]
You reach the final in the first World Cup tournament, you have done well, of course you won the Junior World Cup as well. How does it feel and also when they were chasing, they were doing fairly well at one part of time, Williamson, and Mitchell, how did you and how did the team deal with that?
[Shubman Gill:]
Honestly, I think we knew it was going to be challenging especially under the lights and once the new ball gets a bit old, it is a bit difficult for bowlers here to contain runs. So, we knew it's going to be challenging, but what was important for us was to just keep bowling the areas where we wanted to bowl and wait for them to make a mistake. And that's what we did. And I think at one point, Daryl and Kane, the partnership that they had, it was looking a bit challenging with such big scores, but, you know, a couple of wickets here and there, you're always in the game.
[Reporter:]
Your own performance, reaching the final, having won the Junior World Cup, how is it?
[Shubman Gill:]
Feels great. The way our batting, bowling, and fielding the way we have dominated in this World Cup it's just as a player to be able to play with all those players sitting in the dressing room. It's just been a magnificent run for us.
[Reporter:]
Can you talk about Mohamed Shami? He's been so successful, he's only played a few matches, but it's so difficult for a batsman to play him. And you play him in the nets, so how do you see it? Is it difficult for you to play him in the nets?
[Shubman Gill:]
Yes, it's very difficult. In the nets, it's like, if the wicket is good, it is difficult. But it is fun to play because even Bumrah, Siraj and Shamim - they enjoy playing us in nets and it is definitely very challenging.
[Reporter:]
You had two big partnerships with Virat in the World Cup, which you had in the previous Sri Lanka match. What is your experience of battling with him? What kind of exchanges do you have in the middle? If you could talk about that, that would be great.
[Shubman Gill:]
Honestly, we just talk about the situation and how we want to play. And after that, we just keep running. I think our game is a little similar in style, because he and l also like to keep running. I am also a little busy, running singles, twos and hitting boundary in between. I think we complement each other quite well so it works quite well in the middle.
[Reporter:]
We have talked about batting with Virat, what about opening with Rohit? What have you learnt from him and is there something which really impresses you about the partnership?
[Shubman Gill:]
Everything - everything about him really impresses me, I stand as a learner in the powerplay. He plays 10 overs; I play 15-20 balls. I rest and Rohit comes and does his thing. He scores 4, he sores 6 - and I just watch.
[Reporter:]
This team has conquered everything. They have won everything and it seems like they are invincible in this World Cup. What is it that makes this team this, apart from the skill set, whether it is the atmosphere or is there something that brings them together as a group, what is it from your point of view?
[Shubman Gill:]
This team, I think we have been playing together for like the past one year or so and I think we know our roles quite well and I think that has been the difference for me personally honestly. It's been our bowling attack, the way our bowling attack has bowled. They have always either defended the total or restricted the other team to a below par score. So, I think that's been the difference.
[Reporter:]
Just extending that question regarding your role when you're opening with Rohit, how difficult does it get to kind of hold that temptation back? Because he's going all out from one end. So, what is your role during that period? Because today we saw after he got out, you kind of started playing your shots more freely. So, is that the plan, that as long as he's there, you'll be seeing it through and then go big after he goes?
[Shubman Gill:]
Honestly, when he was there, I didn't get that many balls. After that, I started to get. No, I mean, honestly, my role is just play my game in the power play. Look for good shots look for good boundaries and then once the power play’s over, I can rotate the strike quite well then you know to take the rotation to the spinners and then once you are in, then it's all about you and your instinct how you play, how you see which bowler to take on. If the bowler is under a bit of pressure, then you know when to take him on. It's all about reading the game after that.
[Reporter:]
I assume you grew up watching Virat play all the time and you batted with him today on the day he scored his 50th century. I just wondered what that was like for you.
[Shubman Gill:]
You know, every time he comes on to the park, he does something special and just how consistently he's been able to do it for the past 10-15 years is what is really inspiring. And I think for me, it's not so much about the skill that he has, but it's more about the hunger when he goes there and the intensity with which he plays the game is what inspires me. And to be able to have that consistently for as long as he's been doing it is what really inspires me.
[Reporter:]
Can I just ask, your injury, are you okay? What happened there?
[Shubman Gill:]
It started with cramps and then I pulled my hamstring a little bit and I think these are just the… it was quite humid and just the after effects of Dengue.
[Reporter:]
You think you'll be okay for Sunday?
[Shubman Gill:]
Yeah, definitely.
[Reporter:]
Shubman, you've got a 100% record in World Cup finals with the Mount Maunganui - we've been in Tauranga. You're going back to your home ground which is for the Gujarat Titans, you are playing in front of 130,000 people potentially. This journey has been fantastic over the last four years, you are the only one from that batch which has kind of made that transition into the team currently. How does it all feel, how do you take it in and how do you keep yourself grounded?
[Shubman Gill:]
Honestly, there are lot of things to look forward to. Right now, we have the finals. After that we would have some other important series but those are all in hindsight right now. And if you are always looking for something to look forward to, then it keeps you grounded because there's something for you to always work on.
[Reporter:]
You mentioned your Dengue just now and having recovered from that. Physically, like over all these games that you've played, like how difficult has it been and have you had to adjust something in how you bat or anything about your game at all?
[Shubman Gill:]
Not really. I have honestly not really adjusted anything in terms of my batting but because I have lost a bit of muscle mass, I think the reserve that I used to have before the dengue has decreased a little bit and that's why generally I don't really get cramps when, like you do get cramps when you're playing in humid conditions. But for me happens after a long period of time, not so soon. But because I think I've lost a bit of muscle mass; the reserve has gone down a bit.