Shubman Gill hammered the highest individual score for India in T20Is as the hosts clinched T20I series with a crushing win over New Zealand.
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Entering the third T20I with the series level 1-1, India put up a complete show to hand the visitors a crushing 168 run win and pocket the series 2-1.
After electing the field first at the Narendra Modi Stadium, it was Gill who once again stole the show. The opener has been in stellar form and he continued his dominant run. Though India lost Ishan Kishan in just the second over, Gill steadied the ship with Rahul Tripathi.
The pair put up a dazzling second wicket stand of 80 off 42 to set India up for a big total. While Suryakumar Yadav (24 off 13) and skipper Hardik Pandya (30 off 17) chipped in with crucial knocks, it was Gill who stole the show.
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The opener, scoring at a strike rate of 200, smashed an unbeaten 63-ball 126 to guide India to 234/4. His scintillating knock was peppered with seven sixes and twelve boundaries.
Gill topples Kohli from the top
Gill’s knock saw him register the highest score by an Indian in T20Is. Lying second on the list in Virat Kohli. Gill’s knock saw him replace the former skipper from the top position.
Kohli lies second on the table with an unbeaten 122 off 61. Kohli’s dazzling knock had come against Afghanistan last year, during the Asia Cup. Incidentally, it was the former Indian skipper’s maiden T20I ton.
Making up the top three is skipper Rohit Sharma. Rohit and Kohli had both been rested for the T20I series against New Zealand. Rohit’s highest T20I score is a smashing 43-ball 118. Rohit’s dazzling innings came against Sri Lanka back in 2017.
Rohit held the top spot for almost five years, before Kohli overtook him in September last year.
The fourth and the fifth highest T20I score goes to Suryakumar Yadav. The Indian batter has been in sensational form. His 117 off 55 against England in Nottingham last year sees him sit on the fourth place.
Sky, who has been a force to reckon with in T20s, also registered the fifth highest score. He hammered an unbeaten 112 off 51 against Sri Lanka in Rajkot in January this year. While Sky makes up the top five, Gill’s knock is the one which sits pretty on top of the table.
Hardik leads the way
Gill has been in sensational form in both ODI’s and T20Is and he ended the New Zealand series on a smashing note, hammering his maiden T20I ton.
While India put up a dazzling show with the bat, the bowlers also were at their clinical best. Skipper Pandya, who played a quick fire knock, led the way with the ball. Hardik pocketed a four-wicket haul, that saw New Zealand fold for 66 in 12.1 overs.
Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Ravi and Umran Malik chipped in with two wickets each as India wrapped up the T20I series on a smashing note.
List of highes scores by Indians in T20Is
- Shubman Gill: 126 n.o off 63 against New Zealand in Ahmedabad
2. Virat Kohli: 122n.o off 61 against Afghanistan in Dubai
3. Rohit Sharma: 118 off 43 against Sri Lanka in Indore
4. Suryakumar Yadav: 117 off 55 against England in Nottingham
5. Suryakumar Yadav: 112n.o off 51 against Sri Lanka in Rajkot
6. Rohit Sharma: 111n.o off 61 against West Indies in Lucknow
7. Suryakumar Yadav: 111n.o off 51 against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui
8. KL Rahul: 110n.o off 51 against West Indies in Lauderhill
9. Rohit Sharma: 106n.o off 66 against South Africa in Dharamsala
10. Deepak Hooda: 104 off 57 against Ireland in Dublin