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Shubman Gill slammed 89* – the highest individual score by any batter in the IPL 2024 till Thursday – against Punjab Kings and earned a lot of praise. Gill has often been termed as the next big thing in Indian cricket. On Thursday, Gill led from the front with an unbeaten fifty to steer Gujarat Giants to an imposing 199 for four against Punjab Kings in an Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.
Gill made 89* off 48 balls, the highest individual score this season so far, and in the process hit six fours and four sixes to guide GT’s innings, which was also helped generously by B Sai Sudharsan‘s 19-ball 33 and Rahul Tewatia‘s 8-ball 23.
After the innings, Gill earned a special praise from Irfan Pathan. “Shubman Gill looks so much in control playing t20 cricket. Very much like Virat. Tries to play correct cricket not so much power but pure timing,” he wrote in X.
Shubman Gill looks so much in control playing t20 cricket. Very much like Virat. Tries to play correct cricket not so much power but pure timing.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 4, 2024
Yuvraj Singh also praised the performance. “Gill is back ! So am I well played @ShubmanGill does @PunjabKingsIPL have the firepower to chase this score on a big ground ? #GTvsPBKS,” he wrote on X.
Gill is back ! So am I well played @ShubmanGill does @PunjabKingsIPL have the firepower to chase this score on a big ground ? #GTvsPBKS #IPLT20
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) April 4, 2024
Sent into bat, opener Gill made a rousing start to the innings as he clobbered spinner Harpreet Brar straight over his head for the first six of the match.
Runs flowed for GT till the third over before Kagiso Rabada (2/44) ousted Wriddhiman Saha, latched by PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan at mid-off.
Kane Williamson (26 off 22) , who replaced injured David Miller, looked in great touch as he hit Sam Curran and Rabada for a few boundaries to keep GT scoreboard ticking.
But Williamson’s knock was cut short by Brar’s extra bounce, caught at backward point by Jonny Bairstow in the ninth over.
Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza was taken to task by Gill and new man Sudharshan as the duo picked up 14 runs off the 12th over, courtesy three hits to the fence.
Gill led from the front and clobbered Rabada for a maximum before Sudharsan struck the bowler to the mid-off boundary to keep up the tempo.
Sudharsan went about his business in style, picking up boundaries at will while Gill was happy to play the second fiddle.
Sudharsan’s cameo came to an end when Harshal Patel snared him, caught by wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma as the batter went for an upper cut off a slow delivery.
Gill brought up his fifty off 31 balls with a boundary behind deep square leg in the 15th over.
Gill was at his imperious best in front of the wicket as he dispatched Harshal over long-on for a maximum in the 17th over.
While Gill was going all guns blazing from one end, Vijay Shankar was flat and was caught by a diving Brar at long-off off Rabada.
In his second spell, Harshal was wayward with his lengths and Tewatia made good use of it as the penultimate over yielded 20 runs.
Tewatia played a blinder, including two boundaries of pacer Arshdeep Singh in the last two balls.
With ANI inputs
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