New Delhi: Gujarat Titans’ win over Rajasthan Royals on Friday to enter the IPL final also was an occasion when power-hitting ended second best to shots that were more about sweet timing.
As GT skipper Shubman Gill stamped his class with his 104 off 53 balls, it wasn’t the brutality which defines modern T20 batting but the subtle art of finding the gaps and crisp shots that found the gap and left fielders chasing a ball in vain that stood out.
On a night when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi again showcased the future of T20 batting with awesome power-hitting, Gill served a reminder that timing remains the game’s enduring aspect.
“I was in a kind of a zone where I was only looking at the gaps, looking at the bowlers and looking at where I wanted to hit the ball,” Gill told broadcasters after the match in New Chandigarh.
The most striking thing about Gill’s batting is a seeming absence of force. He doesn’t swing the bat especially hard, and rarely looks like he is trying to overpower the ball. The key is in the quality of contact.
“I wasn’t looking to hit the ball too hard,” he said. “It was just about seeing the ball land, see my zones and try to adjust there.”
That approach feels almost old-fashioned in T20 where the default approach for scoring quickly is to hit harder. Sooryavanshi represents that evolution better than anyone. His numbers this season belong in a different universe: 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.31, with scores of 100, 97, 96 and 93 – the last two knocks came in playoffs.
The 15-year-old’s game is built on bat speed and an ability to generate immense power without necessarily relying on the orthodox front-foot movement that coaches used to insist on. Lengths that would have been either punched or driven by previous generations are now launched.
The six-hitting numbers underline the scale of his impact. Chris Gayle’s iconic 2012 IPL season produced a six every 7.7 balls. Sooryavanshi struck a six every 4.5 balls this season.
Gill, however, is not far behind in terms of run-scoring with 722 runs in 15 matches, although it is dominated by fours (72) than sixes (33).
T20 evolution
“Guys are coming in really early and looking to dominate from ball one,” Delhi Capitals batter and one of the most reputed finishers, David Miller, says. The South African points out to the fearlessness of young batters and the ever-expanding range of scoring options available to them.
“But most certainly with where the game is going, the mindset and mentality around batters nowadays has definitely gone to another level.”
The game’s centre of gravity has undoubtedly shifted towards power. Yet what Gill’s innings demonstrated is that timing is far from becoming obsolete. When fielders are pushed back to protect boundaries and bowlers are obsessed with denying sixes, the ability to consistently access gaps, manipulate angles and find boundaries without taking excessive risk remains a premium skill.
Power can make fielders irrelevant but timing can make them look misplaced. The distinction matters because T20s evolution is being seen as a battle where one method must replace another. Rajasthan Royals batting coach Vikram Rathour also recently pushed back against that idea.
“Dhruv Jurel need not bat like Vaibhav and Vaibhav should not bat like Dhruv,” he said. “Virat Kohli is still extremely successful in this format and I won’t call him an out-and-out power-hitting player.”
“That tells you there is scope for everybody. Anybody can succeed, provided you have belief in your ability,” he added.
Cameron Green made a similar point while discussing contrasting batting styles within the Kolkata Knight Riders set-up. Ajinkya Rahane, he said, is an exceptional timer of the ball, while others rely more on power – calling themselves ‘slappers’.
While Sooryavanshi’s innings gave a glimpse into T20’s future. Gill’s hundred was a reminder of what should not be left behind.
Power may dominate the conversation but timing remains one of the format’s most reliable ways to stay ahead.
