"Feels so long" - Fans react as India hand debut cap to Shubman Gill during 1st T20I vs Sri Lanka

Team India handed a debut cap to star batter Shubman Gill in the first T20I against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. Young fast bowler Shivam Mavi will also make his international debut in the absence of Arshdeep Singh.

While Gill made his ODI and Test debuts in 2019 and 2020, respectively, he had to grind hard in the domestic circuit and the Indian Premier League (IPL) to break into the T20I side.

With senior cricketers like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli missing from the Sri Lanka series, it will be a great opportunity for Gill to make a case for himself. He has smashed 2577 runs in 95 T20 matches at a strike rate of almost 130, including a century and 17 fifties.

Fans on Twitter were certainly happy with Gill's inclusion in the side and wished him luck in his debut T20I game. Here are some of the reactions:

Arbaz Sharif

@CricCrazyArbaz

#INDvSL: Shubham Gill recieves his maiden T20I cap 🧢.

#BCCI | #TeamIndia | @ShubmanGill

#INDvSL: Shubham Gill recieves his maiden T20I cap 🧢.

#BCCI | #TeamIndia | @ShubmanGill

Jigar Mehta

@jigsactin

Feels so long but Shubman Gill has finally earned that T20 cap for India. #INDvSL

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Feels so long but Shubman Gill has finally earned that T20 cap for India. #INDvSL

Rishi

@SRKsAvenger

Shubman Gill Debut

Shubman Gill Debut ✌️

Vipul Ghatol 🇮🇳

@Vipul_Espeaks

If Shubman Gill doesn't do great in T20Is but does well in ODIs & Tests, I will gladly take it because ODI & Test are his 2 better formats.

#INDvSL

If Shubman Gill doesn't do great in T20Is but does well in ODIs & Tests, I will gladly take it because ODI & Test are his 2 better formats.

#INDvSL

Ravnoor kaur

@Ravnoorkaurr

T20 debut for Shubman!!🤞
#Shubmangill #INDvSL

2

T20 debut for Shubman!!🤞
#Shubmangill #INDvSL

kashish🦋

@tearsshdntfall

finallyyy!!!pls score well shubman 🤞#Shubmangill twitter.com/CricCrazyJohns…

Johns.

@CricCrazyJohns

Shubman Gill & Shivam Mavi making their T20I debut.

3

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Shubman Gill & Shivam Mavi making their T20I debut.

finallyyy!!!pls score well shubman 🤞#Shubmangill twitter.com/CricCrazyJohns…

cric pratheep

@Lefthandbatman_

Why Shubman Gill Deserve to play Ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi:

Gill Scored 483 Runs in ipl ,He is the leading Scorer in the Current Squad ,Scored 126*(55) vs Karnataka and 45(32) vs Himachal in QF & SF Respectively,You idiots thinking gill don't Deserve

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4

Why Shubman Gill Deserve to play Ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi:

Gill Scored 483 Runs in ipl ,He is the leading Scorer in the Current Squad ,Scored 126*(55) vs Karnataka and 45(32) vs Himachal in QF & SF Respectively,You idiots thinking gill don't Deserve 😂😂😂

𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢

@SaurabhTripathS

Shubman Gill in XI, some relevance in this match

#INDvSL • @ShubmanGill

1

Shubman Gill in XI, some relevance in this match 💪

#INDvSL • @ShubmanGill

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"We want to put ourselves in more difficult situations" - India captain Hardik Pandya

Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka won the toss and decided to field first at the Wankhede Stadium. The Men in Blue skipper Hardik Pandya admitted that they wanted to bat first in order to put themselves in difficult situations and test their strength.

Speaking at the toss, Hardik said:

"We were going to bat first. Yes, this is a chasing ground but we want to put ourselves in more difficult situations generally in bilaterals. Anyone who comes here we will make sure we'll give them the confidence."

India's playing XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya (c), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Shivam Mavi, Umran Malik, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Sri Lanka's playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, and Dilshan Madushanka.

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