After his maiden T20 century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy following his call-up to the national side for the upcoming T20I series, in-form opener Shubman Gill could not contain his delight about his much-anticipated T20I debut and said that he wants to prove his worth at the top level.
Gill smashed his maiden ton in the format to power Punjab into the semifinals of the ongoing domestic T20 tournament. "It's an important milestone for me, especially when it has come at the Eden," the former Kolkata Knight Riders batter said after his career-best 55-ball 126.
Punjab won the match against Karnataka by nine runs. "Especially as an opener when you spend time on the pitch and make runs, it gives a lot of confidence," he added.
Reflecting on his selection for the T20Is, Gill continued, "It is a good feeling to get selected for the Indian team in any format. Now I have to show that I deserve this chance."
The Gujarat Titans batter has played 11 Tests and 12 ODIs for India, but it is his batting in the shortest format that many fans will surely be looking forward to. During the game against Karnataka, Gill mastered the conditions at Eden Gardens and toyed with the opponent's bowling attack after getting being dropped on 34 runs.
"On this pitch, you find seam movement early on during the powerplay. Later, it becomes easier to bat. I made a mistake in the previous match and went for a big shot instead of waiting for the right time. So, I wanted to take my time. Feels good to have executed the plan well," Shubman Gill explained.
Even as India struggles with KL Rahul's indifferent form in the ongoing 2022 T20 World Cup held in Australia, the 23-year-old Gill has been in great nick, having scored a maiden international century -- 130 -- in an ODI against Zimbabwe recently. He was also in superb form in county cricket and scored his first century there for Glamorgan.
