The defending champions qualified for the IPL 2023 playoffs after to a 34-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) led by Hardik Pandya. Meanwhile, SRH exited the playoff race with yet another defeat in their dreadful season. Gill’s 58-ball 101, which included 13 fours and one six, was scored at 174.14 and saw him become only the fifth Indian (after Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli) to score hundreds in IPL, Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
Gill’s stature has grown with each passing month. Since mid-2022, the right-hander has amassed hundreds of runs in ODIs, Tests, T20Is, and now the IPL. He is regarded as one of India’s superstar young batters, and Kohli praised him following his maiden IPL century. Here’s what Kohli had to say to Gill after his first IPL century:
Gill said after GT’s convincing win over SRH in Ahmedabad on May 15: “I made my IPL start against SRH and got my first hundred against them, so life has come full circle. We hope there will be many more. Everything depends on the bowlers and the situation, and I don’t spend much time thinking about my last game. It’s important to pay attention to what’s in front of you. For me, the six off Abhishek Sharma was the best thing. I told him that I would hit him for a six if he bowled to me. (In case you missed it, Gill and Abhishek Sharma bat first for Punjab in local Twenty20 cricket.)”
Speaking about the game, Hyderabad chose to bowl first. Gill’s 101 runs helped GT get to 188/9, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar came back with 5 for 30. In response, SRH could only score 154 for 9. Mohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami each took four wickets.
