![Shubman Gill celebrating his fifty [Source: @BCCI, @KKRWeRule/x]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1738854477490_shubman_gill.jpg?type=mq)
Shubman Gill celebrating his fifty [Source: @BCCI, @KKRWeRule/x]
Shubman Gill punched out an elegant 87 against England in the series-opening first ODI match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association in Nagpur. Batting at number three and stepping up to the occasion in the absence of legendary Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, Gill belted 14 boundaries in his 96-ball knock to make lightwork of England’s 247-run total.
Team India ended up winning the match by four wickets in 38.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
Fans react to Shubman Gill's return to form
Following Shubman Gill’s match-winning act, a legion of Indian cricket fans took to X and praised the newly-appointed vice-captain for coming up clutch in a tense. Several fans also congratulated the cricketer for overcoming his recent struggles with the bat, as evidenced by his dismal Test tour of Australia.
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Taking to social media, several fans even claimed that Gill is ready to carry the “legacy of Virat Kohli” for Indian cricket. Here is a look at some of the fans reacting to the cricketer’s run-chase special after India’s emphatic win:
Batting at number three, Shubman Gill arrived to the crease in just the fifth over of the Indian innings after the early dismissal of opening batter and ODI debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal. The following over, Gill also lost Indian captain Rohit Sharma as the hosts slipped to 19-2 in a chase of 248.
The Indian vice-captain subsequently forged 94 runs with Shreyas Iyer for the third wicket, and another 108 runs with Axar Patel for the fourth wicket to take the ‘Men in Blue’ to the brink of the finishing line. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, he missed his century by just 13 runs courtesy of England fast bowler Saqib Mahmood.
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 "Aakash Saini")
