IPL 2023: Aakash Chopra Applauds Shubman Gill’s Century vs Mumbai Indians

Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded Shubman Gill for scoring a match-winning century for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their IPL 2023 Qualifier 2 clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) as well. Gill smashed 129 runs off 60 balls as GT set a massive 234-run target in Ahmedabad on Friday, May 26. Then they bundled out Mumbai for 171 to register a comfortable 62-run win and cement their berth in the final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the same venue as well.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra picked Gill as the most valuable player (MVP). He also said that Gill wanted to make amends for his failure to take his team across the line in Qualifier 1 against CSK, saying:

“The most valuable player has to be Shubman Gill. He is India’s present and future. He is not a star in the making, he is already a superstar. He has probably already played one of the finest knocks in this tournament’s history, the third century of the season and this was in a knockout game. When he got out in the last match while chasing against Chennai, it seems he was slightly hurt as the job was unfinished. He wanted to take his team directly to the final but would have to go through Ahmedabad now, would have to play Qualifier 2.”

However, the Gujarat Titans failed to chase a 173-run target in Qualifier 1 in Chennai. Gill hit a 38-ball 42 in that game before getting caught in the deep while trying to accelerate the scoring rate.

IPL 2023: “It seemed this is Shubman Gill’s world and we are just living in it” – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra applauded Shubman Gill for pacing his innings perfectly as well, stating:

“At the start, everyone was saying that it was a slightly tacky pitch because of which Mumbai opted to bat. He was giving a little respect to the bowlers at the start but after that the way he batted – the dominance and aggression, it seemed this is Shubman Gill’s world and we are just living in it.”

Aakash Chopra also said that Tim David’s dropped catch helped everyone watch an unbelievable knock. Notably, David dropped a slightly tough catch at mid-on off Chris Jordan’s bowling when Shubman Gill was on 30. It proved to be very costly as the opener’s knock eventually knocked Mumbai Indians out of the tournament as well.

“Of course, he got a life. Tim David should have held that catch but in the end, you felt it was good that the catch was not taken or else we would have been deprived of seeing such a good knock. The batting quality was unbelievable,” Aakash Chopra concluded.