When Sunil Gavaskar retired from international cricket, the world wondered who would step up next. The answer came from Sachin Tendulkar, who went on to dominate the sport. As Tendulkar’s illustrious career nears its end, another prodigious talent has emerged to carry the torch forward—Virat Kohli. However, a new star has risen in the shadows of these giants. Shubman Gill, with his remarkable performances, has not only caught the attention of cricket enthusiasts but has also proven himself as the heir-apparent to Indian cricket legends.
Shubman Gill’s meteoric rise began with his maiden T20I century in January, followed by a Test hundred in the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia in February. Sandwiched between these achievements was a record-breaking double century in ODIs. The 23-year-old carried his sublime form into the IPL 2023, where he displayed his prowess by scoring three centuries in just four innings.
In his latest innings against the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2023 Qualifier 2, Gill smashed a blistering 129 off only 60 balls. This innings stands as the highest ever scored by a batsman in the IPL playoffs, solidifying Gill’s place in the record books. With a total of 851 runs this season, he became the second Indian batsman after Kohli to score 800 or more runs in a single IPL season. Furthermore, his overall tally is now the third-best in IPL history.
Following his match-winning knock against the Mumbai Indians, Gill was awarded the Player of the Match. A photograph capturing his intense conversation with Sachin Tendulkar, the mentor of the Mumbai Indians, went viral on social media. The image symbolized the passing of the baton from one generation to the next, with Tendulkar imparting wisdom to the young talent.
Subham gill with sachin tendulkar @ShubmanGill @sachin_rt pic.twitter.com/w817akCKhc
— Abhishek Kumar (@Abhishe51514101) May 26, 2023
Sachin Tendulkar congratulate Shubman Gill after Gujarat Titans win. pic.twitter.com/YuFGI94PRK
— Silly Context (@sillycontext) May 26, 2023