Sunil Gavaskar has identified star India opener Shubman Gill as the standout performer for the Indian men's team in 2023. Gill displayed his excellence in ODI cricket, amassing a remarkable 1584 runs in 29 innings, boasting an average of 63.36 and a strike rate of 105.45. However, his contributions in Tests and T20Is during the same year were comparatively modest, recording scores of 258 and 312 runs at averages of 28.67 and 26.00, respectively.
During the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues,' Gavaskar was tasked with selecting the Indian player who amazed everyone with outstanding performances in 2023.
"Breakout performer, I would imagine would be Shubman Gill for the way he batted throughout the 2023 season in all formats of the game. Test cricket, at the start, he was unstoppable."
Acknowledging that Shubman Gill fell short of expectations in the concluding Tests of the year, Gavaskar stated:
"Towards the end, he tapered off in Test cricket but the ODI and T20 performances were exceptional. So he would be the breakout performer as far as the men's team is concerned."
Irfan Pathan too picked Shubman Gill as the breakout performer. He said:
"Shubman Gill, especially in ODI cricket. The way this year was for a young boy in ODI cricket, who is probably the future of the Indian team. I feel he has a huge leadership future as well. Considering that, Shubman Gill's year was a huge positive."
"It was a breakout year for Shubman Gill because he struck a sequence of centuries, his average was amazing and it seems like ODI cricket perfectly suits him. When a young player has such an amazing year, you say India's future is very bright."
During the year 2023, Shubman Gill showcased outstanding form in ODIs, recording an impressive five centuries, including a notable double hundred, and adding nine half-centuries to his tally. Despite this prolific performance, Gill missed achieving a century in the World Cup, with his highest score being a commendable 92-run knock against Sri Lanka.