In the new chapter of the Indian team, under the newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir captain Suryakumar Yadav, and vice-captain of the side- Shubman Gill, the blue brigade began with a commanding way, thanks to their 43-run victory in the opening game of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
Throughout the game, India had so many positives to look after, as their batting clicked very well, especially after their opening partnership of 74 runs in the powerplay, between Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, as both of them kept on hacking the home side.
There was a little bit of pressure on the bowling unit, who was not taking regular wickets at the start but made a great comeback in the contest towards the end, by bundling out the Island team for 170 runs, after conceding 140/1 in 14 overs.
Watch: Shubman Gill’s funny incident with water bottle
The eyes were on Shubman Gill and whether he could answer the questions that were raised on his strike rate. The Punjab-born displayed his caliber at the opening spot, with a 34-run knock in 16 balls, with the help of six boundaries and one six, at a strike rate of 212.50.
After being the highest run-getter for the Indian team in the five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe, he started consistently in Sri Lanka and that would be a huge boost for the selection committee, as they have given him the extra responsibility of vice-captaincy.
The 24-year-old now has smashed 539 runs in 20 T20I innings, at an average of just under 30, with a strike rate of over 140, with three half-centuries and one hundred. The fans responded by praising the young batter on various social media platforms.
However, Shubman Gill left the fans in laughter by recreating the old but famous ‘water bottle’ act of former T20I captain of the team- Rohit Sharma who was involved in a similar incident in the past.
Gill was sitting in the dressing room when he tried to drink water. For that, he was about to use the closed bottle, forgetting to take its cap off. He quickly realized the mistake and took the cap off the bottle to drink.
Rohit Sharma 🤝 Shubman Gill
😂😂 pic.twitter.com/8QOQwMpcqe— yk.man(shub)🦸🏻 (@cdse_wanderln) July 27, 2024
Coming into the game, India found themselves batting first after losing the toss. Suryakumar Yadav smashed a firing 58-run knock in just 26 balls, with the help of eight boundaries and a couple of sixes. Rishabh Pant nailed a 49-run knock in 33 balls, decorated with six four and one over boundary to carry the two-times champion to 213/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
The bowling from the Indian team was a bit poor at the beginning, as the Sri Lanka openers put up an 84-run opening stand in 8.4 overs. Kushal Mendis smacked a 45-run knock in 27 balls, while Pathum Nissanka showed his class for 79 runs in 48 balls.
Also Read: Should Shubman Gill Captain India? Former KKR Captain Gives An Astonishing Verdict
However, once they got out, the rest of the batting fell like a pack of cards as Sri Lanka were bundled out for 170 runs. Riyan Parag, coming to bowl the 17th and 20th over their bowling, ended with 3/5 in 1.2 overs, while Mohammad Siraj bowled beautifully for 1/23 in three overs, along with Arshdeep Singh’s 2/24.
The second T20I game of the series will be played on July 28, at the same ground.