Shubman Gill took us to the metaphorical “Light at the end of the tunnel” with 484 runs and THAT winning six last season, helping Gujarat Titans win the TATA IPL 2022. A youngster whose talent is the talk of the cricketing town has now stepped up the ladder in 2023 and records just kept galoring.

They say, “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough”. His delightful strokeplay, his ice-cold composure under pressure and that grunt, punch-in-the-air that sets our hearts ablaze… Gill turns 24 today and his reign is only getting started.
With 890 runs in 17 matches at an average of 59.33, including three centuries and four half-centuries, Shubman Gill was named the Most Valuable Player of TATA IPL 2023. He also won the Orange Cap for finishing as the leading run-scorer this season.


On cue, right from the outset, it has been an unforgettable 2023 so far for the youngster, which includes Test and T20I centuries, an ODI double century, and now, two TATA IPL hundreds of the highest order.

He scored 1,361 international runs across all three formats this year, more than any other batter in the world, in the opening three months. He smashed three sixes in a row to bring up his maiden ODI double ton in Hyderabad, then conquered the hearts of the Ahmedabad crowd (yet again) with a blazing century in the T20I against New Zealand… and he kept going on and on.

This was before the TATA IPL started. Unlike the seasons before, the spotlight turned in his direction and every time he entered the field, anticipation soared up among all those watching him bat.

In our opening match of the season against Chennai Super Kings, the star opener made his intentions clear and the confidence he picked up wearing the Indian blue, reflected thoroughly in the Titans’ blue as well. With a match-winning half-century, his conquest began in TATA IPL 2023 and it only got better as the season progressed. Twin centuries that got us on our feet!

A century in this tournament eluded the youngster so far, he got close last season but fell just short. In the game against Lucknow Super Giants in Ahmedabad, he nearly broke the deadlock but once again, was a whisker away from a three-digit score. That day, he said in the post-match conference that he will get to the mark this season.

Guess what, he didn’t just get there once, he reached triple figures thrice in a space of four matches. While the Gujarat Titans donned the lavender jersey to support a special cause, Shubman garnished the day with a spectacle of a hundred, a kind we might not see often. His century came at a strike-rate of 174.14, but it barely involved any lofted shots. His timing was so impeccable, the ball only headed into the gaps. Even those who remained in admiration of this century could not foresee the storm that was to hit in Bengaluru, where he helped GT chase down a tricky total with a knock of a lifetime.

Shubman Gill powers us to our highest successful run chase in TATA IPL.

Wickets kept tumbling and the pressure kept mounting, but Shubman, unlike his previous knock, kept tonking the ball out of the park at will. Even after the dismissal of Vijay Shankar, with whom he stitched a great partnership, Shubman showed no signs of caution and fired the Titans past the winning line to complete our highest-ever run-chase.

Not to forget, with yet another memorable winning six, he brought up his second TATA IPL century in a row!
The best of the lot was reserved for a big occasion when he registered his highest T20 score against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2. Shubman dominated the innings across every vertical, made batting look so effortlessly easy, and played one of the knocks of the season. He finished with 129 off 60 deliveries, helping the side register our highest total in TATA IPL.
That future everyone predicted when he finished as the highest run-scorer in the ICC U19 World Cup 2018, is right here, and it is only getting better with every passing day.
Happy birthday, Shubman!