Indian Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill made an entertaining start to his Sher-E-Punjab T20 League campaign, scoring a quick 40 for Fazilka Falcons against Ludhiana Lions at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
Opening the batting for the Falcons, Gill struck 40 from just 21 deliveries, hitting seven fours and a six. His aggressive knock helped Fazilka make good use of the PowerPlay before the side eventually finished its innings at 170 for nine.
The 26-year-old did not take long to find his rhythm. Gill took on fellow India international Arshdeep Singh in the second over, finding the boundary twice to get his innings moving.
He maintained the attacking approach in the following over against Krish Bhagat, collecting another two fours and putting pressure on the Ludhiana bowling attack.
Gill continued to score freely as the PowerPlay approached its conclusion. Facing Sahil Bhaskar in the sixth over, the right-hander struck consecutive fours from the final two deliveries. Those boundaries helped Fazilka Falcons reach 62 for two after the opening six overs.
Having done most of his scoring along the ground, Gill then registered his only six of the innings against off-spinner Jassinder Singh. His brisk stay at the crease, however, came to an end before he could turn the start into a bigger score.
Leg-spinner Kartik Chadha dismissed Gill in the 10th over, bringing an end to his 21-ball innings. By then, the opener had provided the Falcons with early momentum through a knock featuring eight boundaries in total.
Fazilka were unable to convert the strong PowerPlay into a substantially bigger total, eventually closing their first innings on 170 for nine.
Gill entered the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League after recently featuring for India in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. India won the series 1-0.
His first appearance for Fazilka Falcons offered a change of format, and Gill immediately showed his attacking range in the shorter game. While his debut innings lasted only 21 deliveries, the India captain made his presence felt with a boundary-filled 40 at the top of the order.
