Social media users welcomed Shubman Gill's milestone in India's 2023 Cricket World Cup fixture against New Zealand with hilarious memes and jokes on the internet.
https://twitter.com/MSD_071113_/status/1716092156216258989
Babar and gill trying their level best to give no1 rank to each other 😭#BabarAzam𓃵 #PAKvsAFG pic.twitter.com/GTrH47P3lF
— Ñöör Hâféèz Åbbäsî (@noor_babarian56) October 22, 2023
On Sunday, Shubman Gill became the fastest to reach 2,000 runs in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) during his brief but vital knock of 26 runs against the Kiwis at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA).
The Punjab-born cricketer completed his 2,000 runs in the 50-over format in 38 innings, surpassing South African legend Hashim Amla, who reached the milestone in 40 knocks.
The right-hander, the highest run-scorer in ODIs in 2023, also went past Shikhar Dhawan to become the quickest India to 2,000 runs.
Shikhar Dhawan needed 48 essays to attain two thousand runs in ODIs.
But Shubman Gill must have been disappointed with his dismissal at the score of 26, given that he had done all the hard work upfront.
Yet, he and Rohit Sharma did give India a good start, with the latter smashing a quickfire 46 off 40, including four boundaries and an equal number of sixes.
The Indian pair shared an explosive 71-run opening stand in 11 overs before Lockie Ferguson clean-bowled Rohit Sharma.
Despite Shubman Gill setting another world record, Pakistan supporters were unhappy with his accomplishment, trolling him on X, previously known as Twitter.
Indian fans have often taken potshots at Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for not scoring runs against top opposition sides and compared his low scores against such teams with Shubman Gill's performances against them.
They have pointed out that Shubman Gill has done exceedingly well against teams like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and England. But more often than not, Babar Azam has struggled against these sides.
Meanwhile, Team India registered their fifth consecutive victory in the Cricket World Cup, defeating New Zealand by four wickets in Dharamshala.
After India won the toss and opted to bowl first, New Zealand's innings looked in tatters at 19/2, with Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami sending the Kiwi openers Devon Conway and Will Young back to the pavilion inside the first nine overs of the contest.
However, at 40/2, Team India missed a chance to secure the third New Zealand wicket as Ravindra Jadeja, arguably the world's best fielder, dropped a sitter at backward point.
The incident happened in the 11th over when Mohammed Shami bowled a good-length delivery, forcing a drive from Rachin Ravindra.
But he mistimed the shot and the ball towards Ravindra Jadeja, who was fielding inside the 30-yard circle. Yet, Ravindra Jadeja failed to grab the opportunity.
Ravindra Jadeja, perhaps the safest catcher in cricket, put down the straightforward catch, handing a lifeline to Rachin Ravindra, who was batting at 12 at that stage.
Eventually, Ravindra Jadeja's mistake proved costly for India as Rachin Ravindra made 75 runs off 87 deliveries.
More importantly, Ravindra Jadeja's dropped catch allowed Rachin Ravindra to stitch a partnership with Daryl Mitchell that brought New Zealand back into the contest.
The Kiwi duo put on 159 runs for the third wicket, setting them up for a big total at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
Their partnership is the highest ever for any wicket by a New Zealand pair against Team India in the history of the Cricket World Cup.
Powered by Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell's partnership, New Zealand put up 273 runs on the scoreboard, with the latter's 130 off 127 balls being the highlight for the Kiwis and Mohammed Shami's 5/54 for India.
India could have been chasing 300. But thanks to Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah's tight bowling in the last ten overs, New Zealand managed only 54 runs at the death.
Team India began their run chase aggressively, with Rohit Sharma coming out all guns blazing and taking on the New Zealand bowlers with his explosive strokeplay.
Though Rohit Sharma fell for 46 off 40 deliveries, he and Shubman Gill gave India a solid foundation for their run chase.
While India kept losing wickets from one end, chase-master Virat Kohli stood firm, masterminding India's run chase with a majestic 95 off 104 balls to keep the Men in Blue's winning streak in the World Cup intact.
Ravindra Jadeja aided Virat Kohli during a critical moment in the match when India looked in a spot bother following a disastrous run-out of Suryakumar Yadav after a terrible mix-up between the Delhi-born cricketer and the latter.
After Virat Kohli departed for 95 in his quest for a 49th ODI century, Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs, sealing a crucial win over New Zealand, their first in an ICC event over the Kiwis in two decades.
India's star all-rounder remained unbeaten on 39, thus completing the job for his captain Rohit Sharma, showcasing that he was good enough to deal with pressure situations.
After India's latest triumph, skipper Rohit Sharma credited his side's all-round performance for the result in Dharamshala before praising Virat Kohli for executing another masterclass during a run-chase.
“Nothing much to say about Virat. We've seen him do this for so many years. He backs himself to do the job. Towards the end there was a bit of pressure with a few wickets lost, but Kohli and Jadeja took us home,” Rohit Sharma said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Virat Kohli's classic knock in Dharamshala earned him rich plaudits from current and former cricketers, including ex-India batter Suresh Raina and New Zealand skipper Tom Latham.
“Kohli played a fantastic innings. Controlled the tempo and the rest could bat around him. As a captain, you have to be proactive but also work to your plans. Think about match-ups. Virat has a response to most plans,” Tom Latham said in the presentation ceremony.
“Virat Kohli is in a very different zone. He’s been in prime form, enjoying his batting and is taking responsibility. The best thing he did today was have a good partnership with Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja is also amongst runs now and he needed that confidence from Virat Kohli,” Suresh Raina told India Today.
“Jadeja is now amongst the runs and finished the game unbeaten. Whenever the situation comes, Jadeja can also play the big shots. Every time we're in trouble, Kohli says let me do the job for the team. He's done that a lot of times. The confidence, the calmness, the game awareness has been amazing from Kohli,” Suresh Raina elaborated.
“I love Rohit Sharma's attitude and the way he's been batting. He wanted to dominate the bowlers like he did against Matt Henry. The best thing that I liked about Rohit was that he was stepping out, which disturbs a pace bowlers line. He's been in prime form and has been hitting the ball really well,” the former India batter summed up.