Shubman Gill shares pre-match banter with Ishan Kishan after double century vs NZ
Shubman Gill constructed India’s spectacular triumph over New Zealand in the high-scoring thriller at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday. Days after his teammate Ishan Kishan scored a double century in Bangladesh, Gill surpassed the left-hander by becoming the fastest to the landmark in ODIs at the age of 23.
The Indian openner scored a blistering 208 off 149 balls in the 1st ODI against New Zealand. Gill’s sublime knock powered India to 349/8 in the 50-over contest. The Indian opener was named the Player of the Match for his innings that was adorned with 19 fours and 9 sixes against the top-ranked ODI side. Speaking at the post-match ceremony, Gill gave Kishan a special mention.
When asked about joining Ishan Kishan in the elite list of double century-makers, Gill told Harsha Bhogle that the Indian wicketkeeper is one of his best friends. “He (Kishan) is one of my best mates. I was there when he scored his ODI double-hundred and it was special. It feels nice when you want to do something and it is coming off regularly. Definitely a sense of satisfaction. It (double ton) has sunk in pretty well. The game went much closer than I expected,” Gill said.
Following Gill’s heroics on Wednesday, he was joined by India skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan for a chat. The video of the conversation was shared by BCCI in which the right-hander revealed how roommate Kishan irritates him.
Here’s how the conversation between Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma went:
Ishan Kishan: “I have a question for him) What was your pre-match routine?”
Rohit Sharma: (Interrupting) “You should know that as you guys stay in the same room…”
Shubman Gill: “He (Kishan) spoils my entire pre-match routine as he doesn’t let me sleep. He doesn’t use earphones and watches movie in full volume. Isko main gaali deke bolta hu bhai awaz kam kar le ya earphones laga le. Par ye bolta hai ‘tu mere room mein so raha hai. Meri marzi se chalega. Har roz ladai hoti hai. (I abuse him and ask him to turn down the volume but he says it is his room and the rules will be according to him. I fight with him daily). This is my pre-match.”
Ishan Kishan: “I think it is because you slept in my room, you scored my runs.”
Rohit Sharma: “Just to let you know guys. These two are real buddies. They’ve been playing cricket together since ages. They go back a long way. They’ve got great camaraderie.”
1⃣ Frame
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 19, 2023
3️⃣ ODI Double centurions
Expect a lot of fun, banter & insights when captain @ImRo45, @ishankishan51 & @ShubmanGill bond over the microphone 🎤 😀 - By @ameyatilak
Full interview 🎥 🔽 #TeamIndia | #INDvNZ https://t.co/rD2URvFIf9 pic.twitter.com/GHupnOMJax
Becoming the fifth Indian batsmen to score a double century in men’s ODI cricket, Gill also surpassed batting legend Sachin Tendulkar and became the highest individual run-getter against New Zealand in limited overs format.
Tendulkar had played an unbeaten knock of 186 against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999. The 23-year-old is the youngest batter to register a double hundred in the 50-over format. Opener Gill is also the fastest Indian to complete 1,000 runs in ODI cricket.
“I was waiting eagerly to go out and do what I want to do. With wickets falling, at times I wanted to unleash and I’m glad I could do it at the end. Sometimes when the bowler is on top, you need to make them feel pressure. Need to avoid dot balls, show some intent and hit hard into the gaps. Which is what I was doing. Wasn’t really thinking of 200, but once I hit sixes in the 47th over, I did feel that I could. Before that, I was playing what was coming to me,” Gill said after India’s win over the Black Caps.
Also Read: Michael Bracewell equals MS Dhoni's record with blazing century
First published: 19 January 2023, 14:33 IST
