‘Ek award to Test Final me bhi banta hai’ – Fans react as Shubman Gill becomes youngest player to win 10 Player of the Match awards in IPL

Gujarat Titans (GT) star batter Shubman Gill has been in tremendous form in the ongoing season of IPL. He is currently the leading run-scorer of the season with 851 runs from 16 matches played so far in IPL 2023 at an average of 60.79 and a strike rate of 156.43, including four fifties and three centuries.

Gill recently smashed his third hundred of the season against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the second qualifier of the season at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad as the defending champions GT made it into their second consecutive IPL final with a 62-run victory. The 23-year-old smashed 129 runs off just 60 balls as GT posted a total of 233 runs for the loss of 3 wickets. In reply, MI were bowled out for 171 runs in 18.2 overs.

Gill was awarded Player of the Match for his fiery knock that helped GT to get into the finals. This was his fourth Player of the Match award of the ongoing season and 10th in his overall IPL career. With this, Gill also became the youngest batter to win 10 Player of the Match awards in IPL history. He also came third in the list of players with the most runs in a single edition of IPL after Jos Buttler (863 runs in 2022) and Virat Kohli (973 runs in 2016).

‘When I start well, I feel confident I can score well’ – Gill

“For me, it is playing ball to ball, over to over. The over where I hit three sixes gave me the momentum to go big. That’s when I realised it could be my day. It was a good wicket to bat on as well. Not a conscious decision, you keep inventing as a batter but for me the belief is more important. I am coming off a good international season as well. Had a good season last time as well. When I start well, I feel confident I can score well,” Gill said at the post-match presentation after winning the award.

“From the last WI tour, I think I have shifted a gear, I got injured before the last IPL but I have been working on my game. I have worked on a few areas and made technical changes ahead of the NZ series after the T20I World Cup. Expectations are something that follow you outside the ropes, but once you step on the field it is all about trying how to contribute for the team. I think this was probably my best innings so far in the IPL,” he further added.