Credit: Instagram
The IPL 2023 is approaching its playoff stage as defending champions Gujarat Titans become the first team to qualify this season as Shubhman Gill scored his maiden IPL hundred to guide GT past SRH with a 34-run victory. The 23-year-old GT opener played a spectacular knock that drew the attention of many and veteran batter Virat Kohli was among those who praised the leader of the "next generation."
While GT became the first team to qualify for the IPL 2023 playoffs, SRH joined David Warner's Delhi Capitals as the only teams to get eliminated from the playoffs contention so far. With his maiden century, Shubman Gill becomes the first GT player to score a hundred and complete 1000 runs for the franchise as well.
Indian legendary batter Virat Kohli, who has been praising the IPL talents regularly on social media, took to his Instagram handle and posted a picture of Shubman Gill from the SRH clash and praised the youngster with some morale-boosting words. Kohli also seemed to pass the baton to Gill to 'lead the next generation.' The former India skipper wrote, "There's potential and then there's gill. Go on and lead the next generation. God bless you."
Talking about Monday's game at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarshan combined for a 147-run partnership and guided GT to a respectable total of 188 runs while batting first. Apart from Gill and Sudarshan, no other GT player could score in double figures as Bhuvneshwar Kumar ran riot with the ball, picking five wickets and one runout, which include a team hattrick.
During the chase, SunRisers Hyderbad's wickets kept falling as five batsmen were dismissed at the beginning of the seventh over. Heinrich Klaasen and Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept the hopes alive with their 68-run partnership for the eighth wicket , however, the South African wicketkeeper-batter was dismissed by Mohammed Shami on 64 and put an end to SRH's hopes. Shami and Mohit Sharma picked four wickets each in the second innings to help GT win by 34 runs.
