Having struck a match-winning hundred for India C in the Deodhar Trophy match against India A on Thursday, October 25, young batting sensation Shubman Gill says that it is focussing on the process and keeping things as simple as possible, that has helped him reach this far. 

With an imposing target of 294 on the board, Shubman was able to overcome a typically slow early-season Feroz Shah Kotla surface at Delhi, as he timed the ball beautifully for his fantastic innings of 106* from 111 balls, with eight fours and three sixes, and with substantial partnerships alongside Ishan Kishan(69) and Suryakumar Yadav(56*), helped India C scale down the stiff challenge against an attack that also had the might of Ravichandran Ashwin in it. 

"It was important to pounce on the loose deliveries on this pitch because if you don’t convert those [into runs or boundaries] then the pressure will keep being added," Gill, who was later awarded man of the match for his exploits, told the reporters afterwards, "We were chasing a run-rate of six per over for the entire innings. If a loose ball is converted once [in the over] then the main thing [to ensure] is that singles keep coming," he stressed, "If there’s one boundary in every over, then we must aim to keep scoring seven or eight runs in those overs. The run-rate also keeps increasing, and the scoreboard keeps moving,"

“I was set. At that time, our plan was that I will stay until the end because for me, the field had been opened [by the bowling side] (sic). It was easier for him to clear the in-fielders [and ensure boundaries] and it was easier for me to take singles then," Shubman said, "At that time, we decided that whatever was in his radar he would hit, and if I got something on my radar, I would hit, too. Otherwise, I would give him the strike,” 

He further emphasized, “There was a phase in the middle when I hit three or four boundaries (in close succession), and during another phase, Ishan [Kishan] executed six big hits (in close succession)," before adding, "The other batsman has to ensure that he doesn’t give away his wicket during these scenarios. He can keep taking singles and whoever is hitting the deliveries well can keep hitting them,”

Shubman also reflected back at his excellence in picking the right moments on the day and said, “At this age, we watch a lot of cricket on TV and try to understand it. When a person experiences it once or twice, he realises the right process of handling these scenarios. Most of the times, it depends on the belief, which comes from practice," before maturely adding, "If whatever you practice comes out to be replicated in matches, then the belief gets even stronger."

“Once you are on the ground, it’s just bat and ball - that you have to score these many runs (sic), regardless of how you score them. My focus is only on the bowler. I just think about scoring runs and not about ‘what’s going to happen if I don’t score the runs’,” he signed off. 

Sky is the limit for a talent like Shubman. May he continues to shine through. 

Having beaten India A convincingly in their league encounters, India B faces off India C in the final on Saturday, October 27. 

(Inputs from PTI)