3 Shubman Gill knocks that prove he's a special talentÂ
Shubman Gill turns 24 on September 8, 2023, and he has just had a fantastic year, with much more to look forward to. The prodigal batter has cemented his place in the Indian squad and he is on the cusp of making it as an all-format player for a long period of time.
His major breakthrough at the international level came during the 2018 U-19 World Cup, where India lifted the title under Prithvi Shaw. Gill had a prolific tournament but had to wait for his chance. He also had to wait for an opportunity with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as well, after initially being used as a lower-middle order batter.
He ventured into the national setup by replacing Prithvi Shaw for the Boxing Day Test of the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He made his chance count and has been in the red-ball scheme of things ever since.
Gill had to wait a bit longer for his chance in white-ball cricket. His ODI debut during the tour of New Zealand did not quite pan out and it was the tour of the Caribbean in 2022 that turned things around. After winning the Player of the Series award for his display, he gradually displaced Shikhar Dhawan as the first-choice opener in the ODI team.
In his short international career so far, the youngster has already shown why he is a generational talent. On that note, here are three Shubman Gill knocks that prove he's a special talent.
#1 91 vs Australia (4th Test; 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy; Gabba, Brisbane)
While Rishabh Pant is revered as the saviour in Team India's incredible win in the fourth Test against Australia at Gabba which led them to the trophy, one cannot deny the role Shubman Gill played in the innings.
Given a mammoth target, Team India laid the foundation with a strong start, courtesy of Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara. The duo put on 114 runs for the second wicket to make the task a bit easier for the middle order.
Gill ended up as the top scorer of the fourth innings with 91 runs off 146 deliveries, which included eight fours and two sixes. He missed out on a historic hundred after Nathan Lyon dismissed him to break the second-wicket partnership.
#2 129 vs Mumbai Indians (2023 Indian Premier League; Qualifier 2; Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad)
Shubman Gill won the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) Orange Cap after a prolific campaign for the Gujarat Titans (GT). He scored 832 runs in 17 innings at a strike rate of 157.80. The run tally is only bettered by Virat Kohli when it comes to Indian players in the history of the competition.
The youngster came into the knockout stages on the back of a stellar hundred against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on the final day of the league stage. Following a low score on a tricky surface in Chennai, Gill made the most of his favorite venue.
In a high-pressure contest against an in-form Mumbai Indians (MI) outfit, Gill arguably scored one of the best centuries in the league's history. He attacked the bowlers to all sides of the ground to end up with 129 runs off just 60 deliveries with the help of seven fours and 10 sixes.
His marathon innings helped GT post 233-3 in the first innings, and they went on to qualify for their second final in succession with a 62-run win.
#3 208 vs New Zealand (1st ODI; Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium; Hyderabad)
Shubman Gill became the youngest batter to score a double hundred, breaking the record which was held by his teammate Ishan Kishan. The right-handed batter was among the runs in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, which kickstarted Team India's home season.
After scoring a fifty and a hundred in the whitewash over Sri Lanka, Gill made the most of his newfound art of converting his starts. He slammed 208 runs off 149 deliveries in the series opener, which saw an incredible acceleration in the final overs. He hit five sixes in eight deliveries leading up to his double ton.
The historic double hundred was close to being remembered in vain as Michael Bracewell scored a memorable hundred during the run chase, which at one time seemed dead. The all-rounder recorded a valiant 140 runs off 78 deliveries, but New Zealand fell short by 12 runs in the end.
What are some of the other memorable knocks played by the birthday boy? Let us know what you think.