In T20 cricket, an opener as an anchor is a crucial role. It can set a team back if it doesn’t come off, but when it does, it sets a good platform for the batting side. And that’s what Shubman Gill did for Gujarat Lions against the Delhi Capitals in their IPL league game at the MCA stadium here on Saturday. Gill’s 84-run knock enabled Lions to a challenging 171 for 6 after being put in to bat.
At the time of going to press, DC were 34-3 after five overs. It was a great example of controlled aggression from Gill, bringing up his highest T20 score in the process. Gill’s previous best was 76 against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2019.
Having lost his opening partner Matthew Wade in the first over, Gill played percentage cricket to help his team get to 44 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay. Wade tried to scoop Mustafizur Rehman off the third ball of the innings and ended up giving a simple catch to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps. With No. 3 batsman Vijay Shankar struggling to time the ball, Lions failed to make full use of the field restrictions in the first six overs.
After Kuldeep Yadav clean bowled Shankar off the first ball after the Powerplay, Gill and Hardik Pandya ensured that the Lions’ innings got some momentum. Their 65-run stand off 47 balls helped the Lions cross the 170-run mark. Pandya’s 31-run knock came off 27 balls and included four fours.
