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Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Shubman Gill joined the elite company of batting icon Virat Kohli and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer as the third Indian Premier League (IPL) skipper to score 500-plus runs in a season before the age of 26 years.
Gill registered this accomplishment to his name during the IPL clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. During the match, Gill played a captain's knock, scoring 43 in 46 balls, with three fours and a six during a run-chase of 156 runs, which was affected by rain. Now in the IPL 2025, Gill has scored 508 runs in 11 matches at an average of 50.80, with a strike rate of over 152 and five fifties. His best score is 90. He is the third-highest run-getter of the season. He is the third captain scoring 500-runs in a season before the age of 26, currently aged 25 years and 241 days. Back in 2013, during his first season as a captain, at the age of 24, Virat was the first captain to score 500 or more runs in a season before the age of 26. Virat was the third-highest run-getter that season, with 634 runs in 16 matches at an average of 45.28, a strike rate of 138.73, with six half-centuries and best score of 99. In 2020, a 25-year-old Shreyas, representing Delhi Capitals (DC) repeated the feat as he scored 519 runs in 17 matches at an average of 34.60, strike rate of over 123, with three fifties and best score of 88*. He emerged as the fourth-highest run-getter of the season and played a crucial role in his team's run to the final. Coming to the match, GT won the toss and opted to bowl first. A 71-run stand between Will Jacks (53 in 35 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Suryakumar Yadav (35 in 24 balls, with five fours) was the highlight as wickets fell regularly, restricting MI to 155/8 in their 20 overs. Sai Kishore (2/34) was the pick of the bowlers for GT, while Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan and Gerald Coetzee took a wicket each. The run-chase was a rollercoaster ride for both teams. GT did lose Sai Sudharsan early, but a 72-run stand between skipper Gill (43 in 46 balls, with three fours and a six) and Jos Buttler (30 in 27 balls, with three fours and a six) marked their comeback in the game. In the 14th over, with GT 107/2, a rain break was taken with GT ahead as per the DLS Method. After the break, Jasprit Bumrah (2/19) and Trent Boult (2/22) brought MI back in the game, collapsing GT to 132/6 in 18 overs at the start of another rain break. This time, GT was behind. When the game finally resumed, the revised target was 147 runs with one more over left. Rahul Tewatia (11*) and Gerald Coetzee (12) single-handedly finished the job for GT, earning them a win by three wickets on a last-ball thriller. GT is at the top with eight wins, three losses and 16 points, while MI sits at fourth with seven wins and five losses, giving them 14 points. Their six-match win streak is finally broken. Gill was given the 'Player of the Match' award. (ANI)
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