GT vs SRHShubman Gill reveals pre-match banter and promise to hit childhood friend Abhishek for a six

By India Today Sports DeskGujarat Titans (GT) opener Shubman Gill described his six off “childhood friend” Abhishek Sharma during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) as the most pleasing stroke of his 101-run knock. Gill revealed that he had told Abhishek before the match that if the SRH all-rounder bowls, he will hit him for a six.

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Gill hit his first IPL century, helping Gujarat Titans post 188 for 9 in 20 overs despite a disastrous batting collapse. Gill led the way with 101 off 58 balls, thanks to 13 boundaries and a six. Gill’s innings carried the GT innings, which had been ravaged by SRH spearhead Bhuveneshwar Kumar. The young batsman batted until the final over, assisting his team in setting a difficult target for Hyderabad.

In response, Aiden Markram’s side was restricted to 154 for 9 after Mohammed Shami (4/20) and Mohit Sharma (4/28) each took four wickets. Gill’s splendid knock ensured that Gujarat Titans become the first team to qualify for the playoffs by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

“The six off Abhishek Sharma was the most pleasing thing for me. I told him that if you bowl to me I’m gonna hit you for a six,” Shubman said in the post-match presentation. Shubman and Abhishek were members of the U19 World Cup winning team in 2018. They also played first-class cricket together for Punjab.

Shubman said that he has smashed his maiden century against the same team with which he had debuted for IPL, so life has come full circle. Gill came close to hitting a century in the previous IPL match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), finishing unbeaten on 94 off 51 balls. The elegant batter, however, stated that personal milestones are not important to him because he is focused on playing the bowlers and the situation.

“I made my IPL debut against SRH and got my first hundred against them, so life has come a full circle. Hopefully, many more to come. It’s all about the bowlers and situation and I don’t dwell much on my last innings. It is important to focus on the situation in front,” Shubman added.