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Shubman Gill, GT, IPL 2023 (Source: Twitter)
Most pundits and seasoned cricketers predicted Shubman Gill would have a season comparable to Virat Kohli's in 2016 when IPL 2023 first began. Gill, who was seen as the successor to the former India captain, was predicted to smash the mark for the most runs scored in a single IPL season. But although things may not have gone as planned, Gill could accomplish what had long eluded him in the IPL. Gill earned his first tournament century on Monday during Gujarat Titans' game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, helping the hosts advance to the playoffs with a 34-run victory.
The fact that Gill's 58-ball century occurred in Ahmedabad's cherished Narendra Modi Stadium stood out about his performance. Three of his six hundreds in 2023—including his first T20I century on the way to an undefeated 126 against New Zealand in February and the knock of 128 in the Border-Gavaskar series in March—came at this precise location.
'He was at ease, but all other batters struggled' – Virender Sehwag
The love tale even extended to the IPL. Shubman Gill's five fifty-plus scores this season have all come from Ahmedabad. He is still the only batsman in IPL 2023 to score 400 runs or more at a single location. Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag responded to Gill's affinity for the Ahmedabad venue by making an outlandish remark while praising the GT star's performance on a challenging batting surface.
"This was probably the biggest chapter. I would rather say that the love story has translated into marriage. It looked like he was batting on a completely different surface. He was scoring those boundaries with such ease, but all other batters struggled. We have been talking about Shubman for a long time. This year he scored a hundred in T20Is and Tests, has a double hundred in ODI and now scored a century in IPL as well," he said.
In addition to ensuring their spot in the playoffs, Gill's 101 also helped them lock up a top-two finish. Now that Qualifier 2 and the final have been planned for the Narendra Modi Stadium, Gill and GT may rejoice.