NZ v IND 2022: “I have to show that I deserve this chance," says Shubman Gill after his maiden T20I call-up

Gill slammed his maiden T20 ton while playing for Punjab against Karnataka on November 1.

By Salman Anjum - 02 Nov, 2022

Touted as India’s next batting superstar, Shubman Gill has lived up to the expectations of fans and experts this year, especially in white-ball cricket.

The right-hander played a key role in Gujarat Titans’ (GT) IPL 2022 triumph and also did wonders for the national side.

Shubman Gill was the Player-of-the-Series in India’s ODI assignments in West Indies and Zimbabwe. Still in his early days, Gill has amassed 570 runs from 12 ODIs at a remarkable average and strike rate of 57.90 and 102.65 respectively. He also has one hundred and three half-centuries to his name.

On Tuesday (November 1), the 23-year-old slammed his first-ever T20 century while playing for Punjab against Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. It came just a day after he received his maiden T20I call-up for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

"It's an important milestone for me, especially when it has come at the Eden," Gill said after his career-best 55-ball 126, as quoted by PTI.

"Especially as an opener when you spend time on the pitch and make runs, it gives a lot of confidence," he added.

Commenting on his T20I selection, Gill said: "It is a good feeling to get selected for the Indian team in any format. Now I have to show that I deserve this chance."

Shubman Gill took the Karnataka bowling attack to the cleaners after getting a reprieve on 34.

"On this pitch, you find seam movement early on during the powerplay. Later, it becomes easier to bat. I made a mistake in the previous match and went for a big shot instead of waiting for the right time. So, I wanted to take my time. Feels good to have executed the plan well," he stated.

Thanks to his knock, Punjab defeated Karnataka by 9 runs and secured their spot in the semi-final, where they will take on Himachal Pradesh on Thursday (November 3).  

(With PTI inputs)

By Salman Anjum - 02 Nov, 2022

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