Shubman Gill fell agonizingly short of what would've been his maiden ODI hundred in the third match against the West Indies at Trinidad on Wednesday (July 27). The 22-year-old remained stranded on 98*(98) as rain played spoilsport and brought an end to India's innings.
The first rain break really helped Gill gather his thoughts and pace his innings to perfection after a slow start. However, he was only able to score 13 runs from his last 14 balls.
Some fans on Twitter felt bad for the youngster, who probably deserved the hundred. Others trolled him for apparently prioritizing his personal milestones over the team's interests. They felt he played cautious cricket at the death to reach the milestone.
Here are some of the reactions:
Shubman Gill scored his third successive ODI fifty
Shubman Gill has by far been the best batter for the Men in Blue in the ongoing three-match ODI series against West Indies. He crossed the fifty-run mark in the first two ODIs, but some questionable shot selection cost him his wicket on both occasions.
Before the third ODI, Gill had spoken about how he wanted to make the most of his start. He looked focused and applied himself better at the crease this time.
Gill and captain Shikhar Dhawan added 113 runs for the opening wicket, batting first in the third ODI but the visitors needed to accelerate.
Shreyas Iyer played a handy cameo of 44 (34) and tried to make the most of the platform the openers had set. Gill also started picking up his scoring rate at the other end and it looked like India might even cross the 300-run mark.
However, Gill slowed down as he came closer to his hundred. The 22-year-old was in disbelief when the covers were called for and dragged himself off the field, stranded on 98*.
This might also be a blessing in disguise for Shubman Gill. He might realize that once a batter is set, changing gears and scoring at a quicker pace is important.
West Indies were given a revised target of 225 in 35 overs in the rain-affected game. At the time of writing, the hosts were reeling at 101/4 after 18 overs.
Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news