NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill on Wednesday made a mockery of the New Zealand bowling attack and smashed an unbeaten 126 off just 63 balls at the jam-packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Tonking the Kiwi bowlers all around the park, Gill, who hit 12 fours and 7 gigantic maximums, also broke Virat Kohli‘s record in the match. Virat (122* vs Afghanistan) held the record for the highest score in a T20I match by an Indian batter before this. Gill on Wednesday broke the India batting stalwart’s record after smashing 126 not out, his maiden century in T20Is. Virat took to Instagram stories and shared his photo with Gill and wrote: “Sitara. The future is here”.
Gill was adjudged Man of the Match for his spectacular show that handed India a 2-1 series win in the T20I series. “It feels good when you practice and it pays off. I was backing myself to score big. Didn’t happen in the Sri Lanka series, but happy to see it work out now. Everybody has a different technique to hit sixes,” Gill said at the post-match presentation.
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Shubman Gill’s maiden T20I ton helps India crush NZ to clinch series
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<p>Opener Shubman Gill smashed an unbeaten 126 to help India clinch the T20 international series against New Zealand with a crushing 168-run victory in the decider on Wednesday.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Gill recorded his maiden T20 century for India as he steered the team to 234-4 after they elected to bat first at the world’s biggest cricket ground in Ahmedabad.<br /></p>
<p>Gill smashed the highest score by an Indian in T20I cricket, scoring 126* in just 63 balls surpassing Virat Kohli, who had smashed 122* against Afghanistan during the Asia Cup last year in September.<br /></p>
<p>Indian bowlers skittled out the Kiwis for a paltry 66 in 12.1 overs for a 2-1 series win. The hosts had whitewashed the Kiwis in three one-day matches.<br /></p>
<p>The huge victory was India’s biggest ever in T20 internationals and the biggest margin by runs in a match played between two Test-playing nations.<br /></p>
<p>India elected to bat first on a batting-friendly pitch and Gill continued his magnificent run of form — hitting 12 fours and seven sixes in his 63-ball innings.<br /></p>
<p>Gill had also put the New Zealand bowling to the sword with a double hundred and a ton during the ODI series.<br /></p>
<p>Gill put on 103 runs for the fourth wicket with skipper Hardik Pandya, who made 30 and then took four wickets with his pace bowling, at the 132,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium.<br /></p>
<p>Off-spinner Michael Bracewell struck early as he trapped Ishan Kishan lbw for one in the second over of the innings.<br /></p>
<p>Gill, 23, hit back with a flurry of boundaries including three in one over off Blair Tickner. Rahul Tripathi joined the charge as the two put on 80 runs.<br /></p>
<p>Tripathi, who made 22-ball 44, smashed three sixes including one off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi only to hole out the next ball in another attempt to clear the ropes.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Gill, who became only the fifth Indian batsman to record centuries across all three formats, found another attacking partner in Suryakumar Yadav who smashed 24 off 13 balls as the two kept up the onslaught.<br /></p>
<p>Tickner cut short Suryakumar’s stay with Bracewell taking a sharp catch at mid-on.<br /></p>
<p>But the unstoppable Gill changed gears and raised his ton off 54 balls with a boundary as he took off his helmet and let off a roar.<br /></p>
<p>New Zealand made a horrendous start to their mammoth chase as they lost their top four for just seven runs inside three overs as Arshdeep Singh struck twice in the second over of the innings.<br /></p>
<p>Suryakumar took two spectacular catches at first slip off Pandya’s pace bowling to send back Finn Allen, for three, and Glenn Phillips, for two.<br /></p>
<p>Tearaway quick Umran Malik bowled Bracewell before Daryl Mitchell, who made 35, and skipper Mitchell Santner attempted to resist.<br /></p>
<p>Skipper Pandya led the bowling department with figures of 4/16, while Umran Malik (2/9), Shivam Mavi (2/12) and Arshdeep Singh (2/16) scalped two wickets each.<br /></p>
<p>India will now head into the hotly-anticipated four-Test series against Australia starting February 9 in Nagpur.<br /></p>
“Hardik bhai told me to play my game, not do anything extra and he kept backing me. When you represent your country, there is no fatigue. It was my dream to play for India, and I am very fortunate to be part of the team in all three formats,” he said. Gill also became just the fifth Indian male batter to score centuries in all three formats. The other four in this list are – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Suresh Raina. India’s next assignment will now be the four-match Test series against Australia at home, which begins on Feb 9. After the Test series, India and Australia are scheduled to play three-match ODI series. India have announced their squad for the first two Tests and Gill is part of the team. Virat and Anushka meanwhile returned from their vacation and were spotted at the airport. Virat, Anushka and their daughter Vamika had gone on a trekking holiday to the mountains.
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma (TOI Photo) They also stopped outside the Mumbai airport for photos.
