Vijay Hazare Trophy: Was more concerned about team score than my century, says Shubman Gill

Coming in after Manan Vohra’s dismissal, Shubman was the lone man standing as wickets fell in a heap at the other end. The much hyped batting lineup of Punjab failed to provide any assistance to Gill. However, Shubman kept his cool and slammed a knock of 121 which powered Punjab to 243 in 50 overs. His 129-ball knock featured 11 boundaries and one six.

“When I came in to bat, I had my target set that I need to bat long and anchor my innings well. Wickets kept falling at the other end and I was waiting for one good partnership so that we can set up a competitive total against them (Assam). Unfortunately Yuvi ‘paaji’ also got out early. However, the 141-run partnership with Gurkeerat Singh Mann (58) helped us rebuild our innings,” he said.

When asked about what was going through his mind when he was playing in his 90’s he said, “I wasn’t even looking at the scorecard and was mainly concerned about the team getting to a good total.”

Under the guidance of Under-19 coach, Rahul Dravid, Shubman has improved his batting skills and make a considerable impact in international cricket. It may be recalled here that Shubman had recently notched up two match winning hundreds against England.

Punjab next play Baroda on February 28, and Shubman has kept his sights clear and wants to continue his fine-form in the ongoing 50-over domestic tournament.