8 innings, 333 runs, average in the 40s, strike rate 142, on duck. Two star batsmen, both at opposite ends of their careers: Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. But having exactly similar stats at this point in the IPL 2023 is freaky. Insane.
It is also a reflection of the passing of the baton from Kohli to Gill.
One batsman, Virat Kohli, is recovering from a rough patch and has shown great signs of his return to best. The other batsman, Shubman , rising to his purple patch and showing immensely positive signs for a bright future.
Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill are currently the joint 4th-highest run-scorer of the IPL 2023
Fans cannot ignore this canny similarity between the stats of the RCB star and the Gujarat Titans star.
This similarity extends just beyond the runs; even their strike rates, and even the number of ducks (one)they have had is exactly the same and that is unbelievable for the fans. Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck against Rajasthan Royals while Gill departed for a duck against Lucknow Super Giants.
What more, they have, at this stage, faced the same number of balls in 8 innings- 234. One dissimilarity is that while Kohli has racked up 5 half-centuries, Gill has notched up 3 fifties.
King Kohli and Prince Gill❤🔥 pic.twitter.com/8f1BojmOlV
— Lokesh Saini🚩 (@LokeshVirat18K) April 29, 2023
Both the openers will feel they are in the race for the Orange Cap. Only three batters – Faf du Plessis (422 runs), Devon Conway (414) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (354) – are ahead of them in the leading run-scorers tally.
Both, GT and RCB are also in the upper half of the points table. Gujarat are at the top of the points table with 12 points in 8 matches while RCB are fifth, with 8 points in 4 matches.
RCB and GT are yet to clash this season. They will meet only once in the league phase – their match is scheduled for May 21, in Bangalore.
Kohli and Gill will be playing together in the WTC final, against Australia, at the Oval.
