India vs New Zealand 2023

'Kiwi Biryani in Hyderabad' - Twitter erupts as Shubman Gill rips apart New Zealand with his breathtaking double hundred in first ODI

Star Indian opener Shubman Gill scored his maiden ODI double hundred against New Zealand in the first ODI.

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Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill (Source: Twitter)

Shubman Gill Shubman Gill (Source: Twitter)

India and New Zealand are locking horns in the first ODI at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first. The pitch was a bit slow as the ball was stopping on the surface before reaching the bat. Both openers started cautiously and added 60 runs for the first wicket. Captain Rohit holed out to mid-on for 34 off 38 balls as India lost their first wicket in the 13th over.

Virat Kohli walked in next but got out cheaply for just 8 as he was cleaned up by Mitchell Santner. India further lost Ishan Kishan as their third wicket and were in some trouble at 110/3 in 19.4 overs. However, Shubman Gill at the other end looked unfazed by what was happening to his partners.

He got off the mark in the second over of the innings as he cut a short and wide delivery by Lockie Ferguson for a four and scored his first 12 runs through boundaries. He got to his fifty with a gigantic six against Michael Bracewell in the 19th over.

After the fall of Kishan’s wicket, Gill and Suryakumar Yadav added 65 runs for the fourth wicket. Gill looked in sublime touch as he marched towards his second consecutive ODI hundred. He reached the landmark in 87 balls in the 30th over.

With 20 overs still left in the innings, Gill continued to build on his innings to take India to a massive total. He was again involved in a 74-run stand for the fifth wicket with Hardik Pandya. All batters played second fiddle to Gill as he was playing some scrumptious shots all around the ground.

The Punjab batter continued his marathon knock and brought up his 150 in 122 balls with another maximum against Michael Bracewell. With seven overs left in the innings, it looked certain that Gill will look for a double hundred.

Shubman Gill became the youngest ODI double centurion

He lost batting partner Washington Sundar in the 45th over and launched an onslaught on the New Zealand bowlers. He first scored two sixes against Blair Tickner to get to 180s and then took on Lockie Ferguson and smashed consecutive sixes in the next over to enter the exclusive club of One Day double centurions.

The 23-year-old became the youngest batter to reach the landmark and the fifth Indian to do so. He was finally dismissed in the last over for 208 off 149 with 19 fours and 9 sixes as India finished their innings on 349/8.

Meanwhile, Twitter was abuzz with reactions on Gill’s stupendous knock. Here are some of the Tweets:

 

Virat Kohli Shubman Gill Rohit Sharma IND vs NZ