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Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has backed himself to make the cut for India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup on the back of his splendid run-scoring form in the last season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The marquee event is set to kick off on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies and teams are scheduled to submit their squads for the showpiece tournament till May 1. As the deadline approaches, Gill exuded confidence in donning the Blue jersey and representing India on the world stage on the back of his exemplary form in the previous season and the ongoing season of the cash-rich league. "Definitely, I will back myself to be able to make the squad. If after scoring 900 runs last season I don't back myself then there is no point in scoring all those runs. It is a dream for me to be able to represent my country on a world stage, in a tournament like that," Gill told ANI. Last year, in 17 matches Gill amassed 890 runs in the previous season at an average of 59.33. His mouth-watering numbers featured three centuries which served as the icing on the cake. In the ongoing season, Gill has featured in nine matches and struck 304 runs at an average of 38.00 and a strike rate of 146.15. The 17th edition of the IPL marked a special occasion for the 24-year-old as he made his captaincy debut in the tournament for GT, and also played his 100th match in the IPL on Wednesday. Before the season, he succeeded Hardik Pandya as the skipper of the franchise and has four wins in nine matches in the current edition. Gill has had a fair share of problems in his captaincy debut season, with veteran quick Mohammed Shami missing the season due to an injury. Along with this, the star spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed are struggling to find their rhythm while the pacers are yet to taste success this season. Rashid has scythed 8 wickets in nine matches while Noor has six scalps in seven matches. While seasoned pacer Mohit Sharma bowled the costliest spell in the history of IPL. He conceded 73 runs against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in his four-over spell on Wednesday. Experienced pacer Umesh Yadav has had a decent outing while Rs 10 crore signing Spencer Johnson is yet to deliver an impactful performance for GT. Gill reflected on his journey as a captain in the ongoing season and backed the "magnificent" spin duo to turn around their season in the remaining five games. "My captaincy experience has gone really good. I have learned a lot of things. I think Noor and Rashid have been nothing short of magnificent for me as a captain and the team," Gill added. GT will play their next game in Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday. (ANI)
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