Shubman Gill fell 4 runs short of his maiden IPL century as Gujarat Titans successfully chased down 190 against Punjab Kings in a thrilling IPL 2022 match at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday. Gill improved his IPL best of 84 against Delhi Capitals in Pune on 2 April and was named man of the match after GT won a cliff-hanger off the last ball.
While Gill won praise for his valor, Rahul Tewatia sealed the deal for GT with two sixes in the final two balls of the match off Odeon Smith.
GT beats PBKS, IPL 2022: report , Highlight
Shubman Gill, at 22 years and 212 days, could have become the 5th youngest batsman to score a century in the IPL. However, even after GT won his third consecutive match to move up to No. 2 in the IPL 2022 points table, he was a happy man. Speaking to the host broadcasters at the post-match presentation ceremony, Gill said that he was hitting the ball really hard in the middle of a golden run.
“It’s important to stick to the scoreboard. It’s important to hit those gaps because it’s fast outfield (Brabourne). It’s just about execution.
“It was one of those days when I was hitting the ball well and finding gaps as well.
“I’m hitting the ball hard, believe me. I’m trying my best to hit it hard. It may not sound that way.”
“As an opener, I have to bat through the innings so that it is easier for the big hitters to hit it at the end. Instead of thinking in the nets, I try and work and hit my dot balls. I do as little as I can. It is possible,” Gill said.
Shubman Gill is in red-hot touch this year after being dismissed for a duck in the season opener for GT. He came so close to adding his name to the list of young, talented batsmen in the IPL, but he is sure to repeat his magic if he continues to bat like this.
Manish Pandey (19 years, 253 days), who now plays for Lucknow Super Giants, holds the record for the youngest century, while Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant (20, 218 days) is the second shortest on the list. are of age.
22-year-old Punjab opener Shubman Gill first made headlines with his performance for India in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. He was then bought by Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 player auction for Rs 1.8 crore and, over the next few years, became an important part of the line-up.
In 2021, as KKR entered the final of the IPL, Shubman Gill scored 478 runs including 3 fifties. In 2020, he scored 440 runs in 14 matches. Gill had a good start in his first IPL season, scoring 203 runs at an average of 33.83 and a strike-rate of 146.04 and then scoring 296 runs at an average of 32.88.
Shubman Gill is believed to have a long and fruitful career with the Knight Riders but he decided to retain Venkatesh Iyer ahead of the 22-year-old from Punjab. He was the second player to be drafted by Gujarat Titans before the mega auction in 2022.