'Didn’t think that I will be wearing Orange Cap' - Shubman Gill opens up on his sensational triplet-ton season

Shubman Gill continued his stupendous form in IPL 2023 as he notched up his third century of the season against Mumbai Indians on Friday, May 26, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. The Gujarat Titans’ opener scored 129 off 60 balls, smashing seven fours and ten sixes in his innings and helping GT post a massive score of 233/3 in their allotted 20 overs.

In reply, Mumbai were bundled out for 171 as Gujarat won the match by 62 runs and entered their second successive final of the tournament. During his innings, Gill also became the highest run scorer of the season with 851 runs to his name in 16 innings. Following his scintillating innings, while talking to the broadcasters, the GT opener said that he never thought he will be wearing the IPL Orange Cap.

“Actually, I went to the washroom to set my hair and didn’t think that I will be wearing this[On wearing the orange cap]. The over (in which) I hit three sixes is where I felt it was my day. I wanted to maximize scoring. Belief is more important. (It) helps when you’re coming off a good international season,” said Gill.

Further talking about his innings, the 23-year-old said that it was the best innings of his IPL career. He further revealed that he made some technical changes in his batting around December which have paid dividends for him.

“This is my best innings so far in the IPL. Last year, from the West Indies tour, that’s when I shifted gears. I got injured in 2021 leading up to the IPL, and I was out for a couple of months. That’s when I started realising the areas to work on and made some technical changes in my batting around December when I was called up for the New Zealand series just after the T20 World Cup,” he added.

Gill registers highest individual score in IPL playoffs

Notably, Gill’s 129 is the highest individual score by a batter in IPL playoffs surpassing Virender Sehwag’s 122 against CSK during Qualifier 2 of IPL 2014. He’s also just 12 runs behind Jos Buttler’s tally of 863 runs in the 2022 season to become the second-highest run scorer in a single IPL season.

The Punjab-born batter has hit 33 sixes in the ongoing season, which is the joint second highest along with Shivam Dube. He’s just three sixes behind Faf du Plessis’ tally of 36 sixes and will hope to surpass it in the final. Gill will look to play another brilliant innings against CSK in the final on Sunday, May 28 and take his team to their second successive IPL title.