India call-up is a motivation: Shubman Gill after century in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarter-finals
India batter Shubman Gill said that he was highly motivated after being selected for the upcoming New Zealand tour. On Tuesday, November 1, the 23-year-old batter scored his maiden T20 century in the quarter-final of the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The right-hander racked up 126 runs off 55 balls with 11 fours and nine sixes, helping Punjab post a mammoth 225 for four against Karnataka. On the back of his knock, Punjab won the match by nine runs and advanced to the semi-final of the domestic T20 tournament.
Gill said that having already played quite a bit of cricket at Eden Gardens, he was aware of the playing conditions. From 2018 to 2021, the Fazilka-born cricketer plied his trade for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL)
“It is motivational. Whenever you get selected for the national team, it's a morale boost for you. I had batted here in this ground. I know how to play in Eden Gardens, which also helped me a lot. I tried to carry the innings till the end,” Gill was quoted as saying in India Today.
After leaving the Knights, Gill went on to play a crucial role for the Gujarat Titans, who came up trumps in the 2022 edition of the IPL.
“I have no plans to opt out from KKR. But I don't know what the circumstances were, KKR didn't retain me. But I got a new franchise and we became IPL champions. In the future anything can happen," Gill added.
Gill's next assignment in the SMAT semi-final match between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, November 3 in Kolkata itself.