The defending champions advanced to the IPL 2023 playoffs with a 34-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who were led by Hardik Pandya. Meanwhile, SRH was knocked out of the playoffs for the third time this season. Gill’s 58-ball 101, which featured 13 fours and one six, was struck at 174.14, making him only the fifth Indian (after Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli) to achieve hundreds in the IPL, Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
Gill’s reputation has grown stronger with each passing month. The right-hander has gathered hundreds of runs in ODIs, Tests, T20Is, and now the IPL since mid-2022. He is regarded as one of India’s most promising young batsmen, and Kohli lauded him after his first IPL century. After his first IPL century, Kohli had this to say to Gill:
“I made my IPL start against SRH and got my first hundred against them, so life has come full circle,” Gill said following GT’s emphatic win over SRH in Ahmedabad on May 15. We hope there will be many more in the future. Everything is dependent on the bowlers and the situation, and I don’t dwell on my previous game. It is critical to pay attention to what is in front of you. The six from Abhishek Sharma was the finest thing for me. If he bowled to me, I promised him I’d hit him for a six. (In case you missed it, in local Twenty20 cricket, Gill and Abhishek Sharma bat first for Punjab.)”
In terms of the game, Hyderabad elected to bowl first. GT reached 188/9 thanks to Gill’s 101 runs, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with 5 for 30. In response, SRH was only able to score 154 for 9. Mohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami both have four wickets each.
