Ricky Ponting: "Shubman Gill Deserves to Be the No. 1 Ranked Batsman in the World"

India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh had its fair share of standout performers, but one name shone the brightest – Shubman Gill. While Mohammed Shami’s five-wicket haul was nothing short of brilliant, it was Gill’s masterful century that stole the show. The newly crowned No.1 ODI batsman put on a clinic, leading India to a convincing victory. And if there was any doubt about his status as the best in the format right now, even Australian legend Ricky Ponting would beg to differ – he firmly believes Gill is the premier batter in ODIs today.

On Wednesday, Shubman Gill dethroned Pakistan’s Babar Azam as the No.1 Ranked ODI batter. In the latest rankings list, with 796 rating points to his name, Gill leads the pack, while Babar trails behind at 773. Indian captain Rohit Sharma isn’t far off in third with 761, followed by South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell. Gill’s rise to the top has been aided by a stellar three-game ODI series against England. The 25-year-old batsman finished the series as the top run-scorer with knocks of 87, 60, and a superb 112. His tally of 259 runs came at a staggering average of 86.33 and a brisk strike rate of 103.60. To put his dominance into perspective, the next best scorer, Shreyas Iyer, was a distant second with 181 runs – a full 78 runs behind Gill.   

With that kind of form, Gill walked into the Champions Trophy brimming with confidence, and it showed in India’s opener against Bangladesh. Set a modest target of 229, the young superstar made it look ridiculously easy, crafting a flawless, unbeaten 101 to steer India to a six-wicket victory. It was a statement performance – one that reinforced why he’s the best in the world right now. 

His brilliance hasn’t gone unnoticed, and one of cricket’s greatest minds, Ricky Ponting, had nothing but praise for the Indian opener. “He thoroughly deserves to be the number one ranked batsman in the world at the moment,” Ponting said on the ICC Review podcast. “It’s a great sign for India that he’s got his account underway early in the first game of a Champions Trophy.” 

Ricky Ponting didn’t just praise Shubman Gill’s rise to the top – he also acknowledged the young batter’s growing influence in white-ball cricket, even if his red-ball success hasn’t quite matched up yet. “He’s been a very, very good international player for several years. His white-ball cricket over the last three or four years has been outstanding,” Ponting remarked. 

The former Australian skipper also shed light on why ODI cricket perfectly suits Gill’s style. “One-day cricket allows him to be aggressive early in the powerplay with the field up. He plays good, natural shots and scores boundaries at will,” he explained. And the numbers back it up. In just 51 ODIs, Gill has amassed a staggering 2,688 runs at an average of 62.51, including eight centuries. His ability to blend elegance with efficiency makes him a nightmare for bowlers, and Indian fans will be hoping he keeps that form going as they gear up for their highly anticipated Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan on 23rd February.