Shubman Gill on Friday fell four short of his maiden IPL ton in the game versus Punjab Kings but ended up playing a crucial role in his side's thrilling six-wicket win. Gill's exuberant innings was laced with 11 fours and one maximum as the Gujarat Titans opener put on 96 off 59 balls at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.
Gill's sparkling show with the bat saw him time the ball to perfection on a batting-friendly wicket. A fine exponent of the powerplay, the Punjab youngster was unperturbed by Matthew Wade's early exit. The Australian perished on just six in the fourth over but Gill continued to roll out boundaries at regular intervals, reaching his fifty in just 29 deliveries in 190-chase.
Also Read | Rahul Tewatia's last-ball six gives Gujarat Titans memorable win
He teamed up with debutant Sai Sudharsan as the pair put up a 101-run partnership for the second wicket. While Sudharsan fell on 35, Gill continued with a calculated batting approach before he fell to South African Kagiso Rabada in the penultimate over of the chase. Rahul Tewatia in the end slammed two sixes off the last two balls to seal a dramatic win.
Skipper Hardik Pandya was also impressed by Gill's performance with the bat. He lavished praise on the youngster and even hailed Tewatia's fireworks.
{{/usCountry}}Skipper Hardik Pandya was also impressed by Gill's performance with the bat. He lavished praise on the youngster and even hailed Tewatia's fireworks.
{{/usCountry}}“With the kind of ups and downs that happen, I have become neutral. Hats off to Tewatia. It is difficult to go out there and hit, and to do it under this pressure is great. It was Kings' game, I have sympathy for them. He (Gill) has been telling everybody that he is there. A lot of credit goes to Sai as well for that partnership. It kept us in the game,” Hardik said in the post-match presentation.
The 22-year-old Gill had also scored a 46-ball 84 against Delhi Capitals, guiding Gujarat to a competitive 171 for six on Saturday. A shin injury had kept him away from the game but he returned to action with a new IPL franchise, shifting his base to Gujarat after four seasons with Kolkata Knight Riders.
Ahead of the tournament, Gill had also expressed his desire to be a part of the India squad for this year's T20 World Cup. He wasn't a part of the Rohit Sharma-led team that beat West Indies and Sri Lanka in the two T20 assignments at home.
Gill has notched up five 50-plus scores in his last eight IPL innings, making him a strong contender for the T20 showpiece if IPL performances are taken into account while selecting players for the event.
"The player who will do well in the IPL will have a great chance to make it to the T20 World Cup. I am also looking forward to if I do well in this IPL then I will even have a chance to get selected for the World Cup and if I am able to do that then I will be very happy," Gill had earlier told ANI.