Mohammad Kaif was left in awe of Shubman Gill after the Gujarat Titans’ stunning ton against Rajasthan Royals in their playoff win on Friday. GT are set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final, and Gill’s knock was pivotal in helping them reach the title showdown. Chasing 215 runs, GT reached 219/3 in 18.4 overs, winning by seven wickets, courtesy of Gill’s 53-ball 104.
The GT skipper also hammered 15 fours and three sixes, also striking at 196.23. Gill is now second in the Orange Cap race with 722 runs in 15 matches at an average of 48.13 and 163.71 strike rate.
‘What a story’
Taking to X, Kaif hailed Gill for his comeback, especially after missing out on India’s T20 World Cup squad. Pointing out his calm composure in a do-or-die match, the former player was also impressed by his position in the Orange Cap race this season.
Kaif wrote, “Dropped before T20 World Cup, Shubman Gill keeps calm and lets his bat do the talking. Scores 100 to lead the highest run chase in play offs. 700 plus runs, strike rate of 164, MoM in do-or-die game. Gill comes back with a roar. Next is his first IPL final as captain. What a story.”
Gill’s knock made it seem like an easy win for GT, as they also had eight balls to spare in the run chase. But it wasn’t an easy affair in the first innings as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi went berserk. The RR opener smacked 96 off 47 deliveries, and also hit eight fours and seven sixes, striking at 204.6.
But Sooryavanshi didn’t receive support from his teammates as the top order crumbled. Yashasvi Jaiswal (1) and Dhruv Jurel (7) were dismissed cheaply. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja (45*) and Donovan Ferreira’s (38*) did contribute, but the rest of the middle order batters departed cheaply. RR captain Riyan Parag departed for 11 off six balls. Meanwhile, Dasun Shanaka (3) and Jofra Archer (7) also failed with the bat.
Gill’s knock was the culmination of a remarkable comeback story. He has also been facing criticism over his form and place in the shortest format of international cricket. Rather than letting the setback affect him, Gill responded in the best way possible. He slowly found his form this season, combining consistency with match-winning knocks. His knock vs RR showcased class, composure and ability to dominate attacks.
