Shubman Gill has become the youngest Indian batter to score a century in T20I cricket. The 23-year-old is the seventh Indian batter to breach three figures in T20I cricket after Suresh Raina, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda and Virat Kohli.
Gill broke former Indian batter Suresh Raina's record. Raina hit a T20I ton when he was 23 years and 156 days old. Gill beat the record by just 10 days. Gill is also the second-youngest batter to hit a century in all formats. Pakistan's Ahmed Shehzad achieved the rare feat when he was 22 years and 146 days old.
Gill also broke Virat Kohli's T20I record for highest individual score by an Indian in the format. Kohli scored an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan in 2022 to end his drought of centuries. It is also the eighth-highest individual score in T20I history.
Gill took 54 deliveries to reach his maiden T20I ton in his sixth appearance in the format. He reached the ton with a boundary off Lockie Ferguson in the 18th over.
Gill remained unbeaten for 126 runs from 63 deliveries. His record-breaking knock was studded with 12 fours and seven sixes. He helped India post a mammoth total of 234/4 at Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. This is the highest T20I total by India against New Zealand in the format.
Earlier, Gill got going in the powerplay overs itself despite Ishan Kishan getting out early. He got a second chance off the last ball of the powerplay overs when Blair Tickner dropped a half chance at short third off Ferguson's bowling. He was batting on 33 then.
He got to his maiden T20I fifty in the 12th over off 35 deliveries. In the 17th over he decided to take on Tickner and hit him for two sixes and one four. Tickner also dropped a catch off his own bowling as Gill flat-batted one in an attempt to hit the ball hard.
In the penultimate over Gill hit two fours and one six off Ben Lister’s bowling. He did not hit a boundary in the final over as Daryl Mitchell finished well for the visitors conceding just six runs.
