Shubman Gill crowned the ICC Player of the Month for February 2025

Is Shubman Gill the best ODI batter in current times?

A plain look at his ODI career would suggest that Gill is certainly the best batter in current times. The 25-year-old played five matches during the month, and the lowest score for which he was dismissed was 46 runs. He scored more than 400 runs during the month and was an unstoppable force. 

When England toured India early in the year, many believed that they would challenge this Indian team who had suffered a 3-0 whitewash at home and a 3-1 drubbing in Australia, albeit in different formats. The five-match T20 series in January was evidence of the fact that the touring Englishmen are in for a long winter season as they lost four matches.

As the ODIs rolled in, the Jos Buttler-led side was expected to be more competitive. However, that was not the case, especially with their bowling, as they could not challenge the Indian batters, particularly Shubman Gill. It could be said that he used these three games to prepare himself for the ultimate showdown in the form of the ICC Champions Trophy. Gill continued his great form with the bat in hand in the marquee event and was, therefore, rightly crowned the ICC Player of the Month.

Shubman Gill in February 2025

Fondly known as the Prince and the heir to Virat Kohli’s throne, Gill has often shown why he is such a great player. The right-handed batter in February went on a dream run in five games. Only once did he manage to avoid scoring a fifty, and even in that game, he managed to make 46 runs. In the other four games, Gill registered two half-centuries and centuries each.

Against England

He began the month with a three-match ODI series. In the first game, to accommodate debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order, Gill was demoted from his usual opening position to number three. The right-handed batter, though, showed everyone why the Indian cricket team’s think tank was committing a huge crime by dropping him down the order. He returned to the pavilion after making 86 runs in the first innings and only got out as he tried to increase his scoring rate to get to the triple-digit mark. 

In the following game in Cuttack, back to his usual position, Gill scored 60 runs before being dismissed by a great, almost unplayable yorker by Jamie Overton. In the final game of the series, the skipper of the Gujarat Titans scored a great century in his IPL home, Narendra Modi Stadium. He was named the Player of the Series for his performances in the three games.

In the Champions Trophy 2025

He continued his great run of form in the Champions Trophy as well. In India’s opening game against Bangladesh, when the two most experienced players, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, were dismissed for low scores, Gill stood up for the Indian team and made a scintillating unbeaten century to seal the victory.