IND vs NZ 1st ODI: Shubman Gill breaks Virat Kohli’s record, becomes fastest Indian to 1000 runs in ODI history

Continuing his impressive run in the 50-over format for the Rohit Sharma-led Team India, Indian opener Shubman Gill played a stellar knock on Wednesday that laid the foundation for a challenging total against the top-ranked New Zealand side in the series opener. 

After decimating Sri Lanka in their previous assignment, Team India locked horns with the Black Caps in the first One Day International (ODI) of the three-match series at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Gill’s impressive performance set the tone for the match, and the Indian side will be hoping to carry this momentum into the rest of the series.

Leading the batting charge for the hosts in the series opener, Gill and Rohit put together a 60-run opening stand before the Indian skipper was dismissed by Blair Tickner in the 13th over. After Rohit’s departure, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner struck gold by taking the prized wicket of former skipper Kohli, reducing India to 88-2 in the 16th over. Gill then stepped up to the occasion, playing a gritty knock and eventually smashing a sensational century against the Black Caps, rescuing India from a precarious situation.

Gill achieved his third ODI century in the 30th over of the Indian innings, surpassing the ODI records of veteran batter Shikhar Dhawan and former India skipper Kohli. In a remarkable feat, Gill has become the fastest batter to reach 1,000 runs for Team India in the 50-over format, achieving the milestone in just 19 ODI appearances – five innings quicker than Kohli.

Milestone  – Shubman Gill becomes the fastest Indian to score 1000 ODI runs in terms of innings (19) 

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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 18, 2023

Fewest innings to 1000 ODI runs

18 – Fakhar Zaman

19 – Imam-ul-Haq/ Shubman Gill

21 – Viv Richards/ Kevin Pietersen/ Jonathan Trott/ Quinton de Kock/ Babar Azam/ Rassie vd Dussen

Fewest innings to 1000 ODI runs by an Indian

19 – Shubman Gill

24 – Virat Kohli/ Shikhar Dhawan

25 – Navjot Singh Sindhu/ Shreyas Iyer

The prodigious Indian opener has notched up his third ODI century in just his 19th innings for the Men In Blue. Only veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has achieved three centuries in fewer innings than Gill. Former India stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma had registered three ODI centuries in 17 innings.

Gill has played 19 ODIs, 13 Tests and 3 T20Is for Team India since his international debut against New Zealand at Seddon Park in 2019. At just 23 years of age, Gill has already established himself as a formidable force in the Indian cricket team.

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