The Indian team currently is eyeing the One Day International (ODI) World Cup that will be played in their backyard in 2023. As of now, they are now playing against New Zealand in a 3-match ODI series and are lagging by a margin of 1-0. The Kiwi team led by New Zealand won the first match as they secured the lead. Much to India's misfortune, rain denied them the chance to level the scores and they now head towards Christchurch for the final match of the series.
Before rain played spoilsport, India were batting quite well and they looked to register a huge total for the Kiwis to chase. The right-handed batter from Mohali scored a gritty 45 off 42 deliveries. Gill looked in quite a good touch as he registered a strike rate of 107.14. Shubman hit 4 boundaries and 1 six in his innings. The Mohali-based batsman who shot to fame with 418 runs at an average of 104.50 in the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup has always been an option for the opener's slot and has continued to play there even for his IPL (Indian Premier League) franchise Gujarat Titans. Interestingly, Gill isn't a part of India's ODI squad that will be visiting Bangladesh as stalwarts such as KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli return.
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Here is how Shubman Gill reacted to the opening slot conjecture:
As of now, I am not looking that far ahead. I am trying to make the most of the opportunities that I am getting and score big for the team and make valuable contributions. How I played the last ODI was a reflection of my mindset to play long innings. Even in the team meetings, all the talk was about batting for long periods. About finishing the innings. If I deliver and can do that, it makes the job easier for other batsmen to come.
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As of now, the youngster plays as a backup opener to Rohit Sharma. Gill certainly has tried and made the most of the opportunities that he has been given. He has scored 4 half-centuries and a ton. Shubman Gill averages 61.27 in the 50-over format.
