"I have to show that I deserve this chance" - Shubman Gill reflects on his T20I selection

Indian batter Shubman Gill is keen to show selectors that he deserves to play T20I cricket following a call-up for the upcoming New Zealand tour. The young prodigy was also happy with his innings against Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarter-final on Tuesday, November 1.

Gill hammered 126 off only 55 deliveries against Karnataka in the quarter-finals at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Punjab batter clobbered 11 fours and nine sixes as they amassed a match-winning total of 225.

Reflecting on his selection for the T20 series in New Zealand, he said, as quoted by the Indian Express:

"It is a good feeling to get selected for the Indian team in any format. Now I have to show that I deserve this chance."

Squad for NZ T20Is:

Hardik Pandya (C), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson (wk), W Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik.

With KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma rested, the 23-year-old is likely to open the innings. He is likely to partner with wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan in New Zealand.

"It’s an important milestone for me, especially when it has come at the Eden" - Shubman Gill on his 55-ball 126

The youngster also felt privileged to score well at Eden Gardens and believes that he handled the situation well at the venue compared to the previous occasion. He added:

"It’s an important milestone for me, especially when it has come at the Eden. Especially as an opener when you spend time on the pitch and make runs, it gives a lot of confidence.

"On this pitch, you find seam movement early on during the powerplay. Later, it becomes easier to bat. I made a mistake in the previous match and went for a big shot instead of waiting for the right time. So, I wanted to take my time. Feels good to have executed the plan well."

💯 for @ShubmanGill! 👏 👏

What a cracking knock this has been from the right-hander in the #QF1 of the #SyedMushtaqAliT20! 👌 👌 #KARvPUN | @mastercardindia

Follow the match ▶️ bcci.tv/domestic/syed-… https://t.co/OaECrucM6g

Gill was in solid nick for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022. He mustered 483 runs in 16 games at 34.50 with a strike rate of 132.32 and played an integral role in helping them lift the title in their debut season.