Kohli-Tendulkar Exchange: Shastri's ‘Gen Next' Prediction Realized in India's Victory
The 189-run partnership between Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill in the match against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium evoked a strong sense of nostalgia for Ravi Shastri. The iconic moment from the 2011 World Cup final came to mind—a night etched in cricket history.
The setting at Wankhede Stadium seemed to transport everyone back to the triumphant night of the 2011 World Cup final. The unveiling of Sachin Tendulkar's statue at the stadium added to the sense of history, and the cricket legend himself graced the occasion.
It was particularly special as India faced the same team they had conquered 12 years ago in the very same venue, Sri Lanka. But what truly stood out for Ravi Shastri, who had been in the commentary box during that memorable final, was the remarkable 189-run partnership between Virat Kohli and the young Shubman Gill. This partnership rekindled memories of the iconic moment between Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar from the 2011 World Cup.
In the 2011 final, India faced a challenging task in pursuit of 275 runs. They got off to a rocky start as Lasith Malinga struck early, dismissing Virender Sehwag for a duck in the second delivery. The great Sachin Tendulkar was also sent back to the pavilion, having scored just 18 runs in 14 balls. As Sachin made his way back to the pavilion amidst the hushed Wankhede crowd, a 22-year-old Kohli, already earmarked as the future star of world cricket, strode in.
On his way to the crease, he had a brief conversation with Sachin, who advised him to “build a partnership.” Kohli followed that guidance to the letter. He stitched together a crucial 83-run partnership with Gautam Gambhir, playing a supporting role on his way to a composed 35 runs. Ultimately, India successfully chased down the target with 10 balls to spare.
Fast forward to Thursday, and Ravi Shastri, in a conversation with Star Sports, saw history repeat itself. Kohli formed a magnificent 189-run partnership with Shubman Gill, who is seen as Kohli's true successor. This revival came after the early loss of Rohit Sharma, and it enabled India to post a match-winning total of 357 for eight.
Ravi Shastri couldn't help but draw parallels between these two remarkable instances. He stated, “Gill is Gen Next. Tendulkar, when he walked out in that 2011 World Cup, there was some words exchanged with Kohli, who walked in next, on what the pitch was behaving like. Then today we see Kohli and Gill batting together, that is Gen Next. After these guys leave, he is the king.”
Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, who was also part of the discussion, echoed Shastri's sentiments. He acknowledged that Shubman Gill's innings at the start of the match was impressive, especially given the challenging conditions at Wankhede. Hussain praised Gill's ability to make batting appear effortless and predicted a bright future for the young talent. He believed that Gill is set to become a cricket superstar for years to come.
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