Team India batter Shubman Gill expressed his belief that he could have reached a century in the World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand, had it not been for the cramps he experienced during the 23rd over. Batting impressively at 79 off 66 balls, Gill faced physical challenges due to Mumbai's humid conditions, leading to his retirement hurt. He required assistance from the Indian team's physio to leave the pitch and struggled to walk up the stairs to the dressing room. Despite this, Gill returned briefly to face one more ball towards the end of India's innings, finishing with an unbeaten score of 80 off 67 balls.
In the post-match press conference following India's 70-run victory over New Zealand, Gill discussed the cramps, attributing them partly to the after-effects of dengue, which had caused him to lose some muscle mass.
"If I didn't get cramp, maybe I would have scored 100. But I think, the total we were trying to reach, irrespective of whether I scored 100 or not, we reached there and had a hope of scoring around 400. We had expectations, that till the 25th – 30th over we should have scored these many runs and we did that, so it didn't matter that I made a century or not," Gill said at the post-match press conference.
"It started with cramps and then I pulled my hamstring a little bit and I think these are just the… it was quite humid and just the after effects of Dengue," he added.
Gill and Indian captain Rohit Sharma provided a solid start for India in the semi-final. Sharma's aggressive 29-ball 47 set the tone in the first powerplay, facing most of the deliveries. Gill, reflecting on batting alongside Sharma, described it as an educational experience. He humorously remarked that he could afford to take it easy as Sharma often faced the bulk of the balls during the powerplay in their matches.
"Everything - everything about him really impresses me, I stand as a learner in the powerplay. He plays 10 overs; I play 15-20 balls. I rest and Rohit comes and does his thing. He scores 4, he sores 6 - and I just watch," said Gill.
Gill's comments shed light on the camaraderie and understanding between the Indian openers, highlighting their effective partnership in crucial World Cup games.
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