IPL 2023: Shubman Gill becomes second batter with 700-plus runs
Shubman Gill has become the second batter to complete 700 runs in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The Gujarat Titans openers reached the mark during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season Qualifier 1 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Gill required 20 more runs to achieve the feat. He smashed a 38-ball 42 in the match.
Why does this story matter?
Hailed as Virat Kohli's successor, Gill has been in sublime form. The GT opener hammered a 58-ball 101 against SRH and followed it up with an unbeaten 52-ball 104 versus RCB, the same game in which Kohli scored a hundred. Besides these tons, Gill also scored an unbeaten 94 versus Lucknow Super Giants. Notably, no other GT batter owns a hundred in the competition.
A massive feat for Gill
Earlier in the tournament, Gill became the first Indian to score a Test, ODI, T20I, and IPL century in the same year. He slammed 112 in the 3rd ODI against New Zealand in January. A few days later, Gill smashed an unbeaten 126 in the Ahmedabad T20I against the Kiwis. In March, he slammed 128 in the Border-Gavaskar series at the same venue.
Gill completes 1,000 IPL runs for GT
During the knock, Gill became the first player to complete 1,000 IPL runs for GT. His closest rival is skipper Hardik Pandya, who owns over 760 runs for the franchise. David Miller is the only other player with over 700 IPL runs for GT.
The lone warrior for GT
Gill was the only GT batter who looked set in the first half. GT's hopes were pinned on the star opener. However, his innings was cut short by Deepak Chahar in the 14th over. Gill slammed 42 off 38 balls (4 fours and 1 six).
How did the match pan out?
GT won the toss and elected to field at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway set the tone for CSK's innings with a 59-run partnership in the Powerplay. The former smashed a fifty, while Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali finished well. Gill, the star of IPL 2023, was the lone warrior for GT (157). They lost despite Rashid Khan's 30.
