Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag feels Kolkata Knight Riders opener Shubman Gill has “more ability than several greats of the game” and urged the batsman to play freely in the upcoming matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

Shubman Gill scored a match-winning 48 to help KKR gun down the target of 93 against Royal Challengers Bangalore with 9 wickets in hand in Match 31 of IPL 2021 in Abu Dhabi.

Praising Gill’s batting abilities, Sehwag said the youngster from Punjab should bat with freedom without worrying about the amount of runs on the scoreboard in the remaining games as well.

“Shubman Gill should bat freely, no matter what the situation is. He shouldn’t be bothered about runs. There are 9 batsmen behind him, hence, he shouldn’t think much. If he gets a loose ball, hit it big and of not, just tap it and get a single.

“He has more ability than several greats of the game. The players from older generations had a stronger mindset which led them to success. If Gill wants to be a successful batter, he needs to work on his mindset,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

Sehwag, just like his own batting style, wants Gill to bat with a free mindset and start hitting from the word go, especially when he’s opening in the shortest format.

“T20 cricket isn’t a format where you score ball-to-ball. You do that in the longer formats where a strike rate of 50 is considered decent. But this format is meant to bat like this.

“No need to take pressure while batting. You just go and start hitting. If you connect then you are a match winner and if couldn’t, then no worries, someone else will do that.

“It is not about the skill but mindset. It’s most important because if you have that kind of mindset, how would you play? Batsmen do have skill to hit a six but doubt in their mind and fear of getting out stops them from going for it,” Sehwag said.