Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Shubman Gill has taken his game up a notch, with his 60-ball 129 against the Mumbai Indians (MI) probably being his best innings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) so far. His knock propelled GT to a massive total of 233 in the IPL 2023 Qualifier 2 on Friday, May 26, as MI were beaten by 62 runs.
The 23-year-old came into the match with two hundreds in the last three games and was chasing Faf du Plessis for the Orange cap with 730 runs. He is now the outright leader on this list, surpassing the 800-run mark for the season.
The star batter hit seven boundaries and 10 sixes during his knock, while MI were eventually bundled out for 171 as GT booked the IPL 2023 final spot against CSK.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Gill revealed that the over where he hit Akash Madhwal for three sixes was when he realised he could go all the way. "For me, it is playing ball to ball, over to over. The over where I hit three sixes gave me the momentum to go big. That's when I realised it could be my day. It was a good wicket to bat on as well," he said.
Gill feels that since the West Indies tour in 2022, he has taken his batting to a whole new level. "Not a conscious decision, you keep inventing as a batter but for me, the belief is more important. I am coming off a good international season as well. Had a good season last time as well. When I start well, I feel confident I can score well.
"From the last WI tour, I think I have shifted a gear, I got injured before the last IPL but I have been working on my game. I have worked on a few areas and made technical changes ahead of the NZ series after the T20I World Cup," said Gill.
When asked about how he has been able to deal with expectations, Gill said that once he steps onto the field, he tries to contribute for the team. The GT opener signed off by saying this was probably his best innings in the IPL. "Expectations are something that follow you outside the ropes, but once you step on the field it is all about trying how to contribute for the team. I think this was probably my best innings so far in the IPL," Gill concluded.
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