Gill became only the second batter in cricket history to record multiple ODI double tons.
India registered a series-clinching 8-wicket victory over the West Indies in the second ODI at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday (September 30).
Chasing a daunting target of 406 runs, Shubman Gill provided the hosts with a blistering start as he added 255 runs for the opening wicket with Rohit Sharma. The Indian captain reached his 11th ODI century off just 62 balls.
While Rohit was dismissed after scoring 101 off 75 balls – his 35th ODI ton, Gill held the one end and stayed unbeaten on 223 off 133 balls to take India over the line with 39 deliveries to spare.
It was only the second time in ODI history that a team had hunted down a target of 400 or more, following South Africa’s iconic 438-run chase against Australia in 2006.
After helping India pull off their biggest ever chase in ODIs, Gill drew rich praise from the legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who hailed the skipper as a combination of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
“I’ll say it straight: Shubman Gill is a great combination of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. I refuse to agree, but I’m saying it was very princely. This is the first time I’m using this name. What a brilliant innings it was. Especially that shot where he jumped out and played a cut against the fast bowler over point. He is an exceptional player. Virat Kohli doesn’t play the cut and sweep that much against spinners, and there is no need to play the sweep against fast bowlers. Shubman plays both shots,” Ashwin said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.
“Rohit Sharma is very good at using the back foot against both spinners and fast bowlers. Shubman does both. That is very rare. Rohit Sharma plays the inside-out shot, Virat Kohli also plays it, and Shubman plays it too. Virat Kohli uses his feet but doesn’t hit the ball that hard from there. Rohit Sharma uses his feet and hits big sixes. Gill does the same. So, in many ways, he matches them shot for shot,” he added.
Just like Kohli and Rohit, Ashwin highlighted that the 50-over format brings out the ultimate version of Gill’s rare and multi-faceted skill set. He emphasized that if given enough matches, Gill could potentially break major batting records in ODI cricket.
“This is his best format. We always say that we can talk about Virat Kohli in Test cricket. Virat Kohli’s best format is ODI cricket. Rohit’s best format is ODI cricket. In that line, Shubman Gill’s best format is also ODI cricket. I really hope ODI cricket stays on because Shubman Gill will put the ODI records of many great cricketers in danger, the way he is batting and the combination of skills he has,” he remarked.
Shubman Gill will next be in action during the inconsequential third ODI against the West Indies, scheduled for October 3 in New Chandigarh.