The Wankhede stadium buzzed with admiration when India's batting phenom Shubman Gill delivered an stunning performance against Sri Lanka in their ODI World Cup clash on November 2, Thursday. The iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai erupted in applause with Sara Tendulkar notably giving the batting sensation a standing ovation for his commendable knock.
Entering the World Cup, Gill's prowess with the bat was widely discussed, and he was backed by several cricketing legends to potentially emerge as the tournament's highest run-scorer. The young gun had displayed phenomenal form throughout 2023, including the recently concluded Asia Cup, where he emerged as the leading run scorer. However, his World Cup journey was punctuated due to dengue fever and he had to sit out of the first two games in the ongoing World Cup 2023. Recovering from the dengue fever Gill went on to notch scores of 16, 53, 26, and 9 across four matches.
But against Sri Lanka, Gill was in his element. Despite losing his opening partner Rohit Sharma early in the game, he showcased resilience, forming an imposing partnership with the batting juggernaut Virat Kohli. Together, they put up a mammoth 189 runs in just 179 balls. However, Gill's splendid innings was halted in the 30th over by Dilshan Madushanka. Nonetheless, Gill's 92-run feat, adorned with 11 boundaries and two maximums, was a sight to behold. His evident disappointment on missing a century was overshadowed by the rapturous applause he received from the Wankhede audience, including a particularly noted ovation from Sara Tendulkar.
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With this, Gill also scripted a new record as he now has the highest number of 50-plus scores in ODIs for the year 2023, surpassing Pathum Nissanka.
Players with most 50-plus scores in ODIs in 2023
Shubman Gill: 12*
Pathum Nissanka: 11
Babar Azam: 11
Rohit Sharma: 10
Virat Kohli: 10
Away from the field, the camaraderie between Sara and Shubman has been a subject of much speculation. Rumors of their relationship began around 2020, with Sara openly supporting Gill during an IPL fixture. Their interactive social media exchanges and recent public appearances, like the one at a Jio event in Mumbai recently, further added fuel to the rumor mill.
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