Border-Gavaskar Trophy key takeaways: Gill's rise, Rahul's fall and Kohli's comeback

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Month-long Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2022-23 ended on Monday with India clinching the 4-match series 2-1. The first three matches, under the shadow of pitch debate, ended inside three days with each one of them fetching a result.

But in an ironic finish to the high-octane series, a flat deck led to a high-scoring draw on the fifth day. In fact, with no possibility of a result, the two teams mutually decided to shake hands and head back to the pavilion even before the end of final day play.

The series was India's final assignment before their World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia from June 7 at the Oval in London. The series has very much decided what the Indian team will look like for the title match. The four matches have decided the future setup of the team. Here are a few takeaways from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy key takeaways

Shubman Gill's rise

The 23-year-old opener waited for two matches for his chance but he made sure that he makes the opportunity count in the final two matches. In the Delhi Test he scored brisk 21 runs in the first innings before failing to convert it into a big score. On a turning track, he failed in the second innings as well. However, his good form in the past and wait for two matches to play in the Border-Gavaskar Series 2023 made sure that he got another go. The Punjab batter capitalised this time by scoring his second Test ton. The 'Prince' tag is slowly taking momentum and the right-hander is making sure to deliver on the tag. Gill, arguably the only three-format batter in the India eleven, is undoubtedly a star in making. He is here to stay.

KL Rahul's fall

On the flip side, senior opener KL Rahul is fast losing his spot in the Test eleven. He scored 38 runs in the first two Tests and with growing outside pressure on the management and the selectors, the 30-year-old was sacked as team's vice-captain and then dropped from the eleven after the second Test in Delhi. The Karnataka batter played four Test matches in 2022 and managed to score only 137 runs at an average of 17.12. With the rise of Shubman Gill at the top, and the likes of Mayank Agarwal scoring heavily in the domestic circuit, a comeback for Rahul in the eleven will not be all that easy. There have been suggestions that Rahul play in the middle-order in the WTC final as he is acquainted with the English conditions, but that will involve major tinkering with the team combination. We will have to wait and watch. These setbacks come after him losing his leadership cap in the white-ball formats as well. His good friend Hardik Pandya has climbed up the ladder and is captaining the T20I side. He will also be seen leading India in the first ODI against Australia on March 17.

Virat Kohli's comeback

Virat Kohli, the former world number one batter, ended his 1205 days wait for a Test hundred slamming 186 runs with true grit and determination. His first innings in Delhi also had stamp of quality all over it but he threw away his wicket after scoring solid 44 runs. Even on the treacherous Indore track, the 34-year-old played with a straight bat and looked good during his stays in the middle. In Ahmedabad, he floored everyone with his tough mentality, scoring his slowest Test hundred off 241 balls. He hit just five boundaries en route to his 28th Test ton. Once he got the monkey off his bat, he hit 10 exquisite fours for his next 86 runs. One T20I hundred, three ODI hundreds and now a Test hundred. Kohli waited for over two years for 71st hundred and now within six months, he has added five more international hundreds to his tally.