'Sitara, the future is here' - Virat Kohli’s special praise for Shubman Gill post 3rd T20I vs NZ goes viral

Shubman Gill lit up the Ahmedabad stadium on 1 February 2023 when he scored his maiden T20I ton. In the third and last match of the series against the Kiwis, Gill scored 126* runs off 63 balls, including 12 fours and seven sixes. His inning was instrumental as the Men in Blue scored 234 runs for four wickets in 20 overs. 

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However, Virat Kohli was given a rest from the T20I series. After that fantastic knock, several players and fans came up to acknowledge Shubman Gill. The former Indian skipper was not an exception also as he shared a picture of him with Gill. He also wrote: “Sitara. The future is here,” on his Instagram story. 

Here is the shared image of that story:

Instagram story shared by Virat Kohli (Image Source: Instagram)

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Shubman Gill scored 144 runs in the T20I series against the Kiwis

Shubman Gill has enjoyed the last few months as he notched up his maiden Test century, ODI century, T20I century, and an ODI double hundred. Virat Kohli also enjoyed batting with him during the ODI series against the Lankans in 2023. Speaking of his form in the T20I series against the Kiwis, Gill was the highest run-scorer. He scored 144 runs in three matches, at an average of 72.

During the post-match presentation ceremony, Shubman Gill said that he is quite happy to play in all three formats for India. He said: "It feels good when you practice and it pays off. Happy to get the big ones for the team. Everybody has a different technique to hit sixes. Hardik bhai told me to bat the way I do, and that there is no need to do anything extra. When you are representing your country, I don't think there's any kind of fatigue, and I am happy to play all three formats."   

In an exclusive chat with Hardik Pandya on the website of the Indian Cricket Board, Gill said: “To be able to play how I play, I have to be mentally clear. This is what you (Hardik) told me. Every time I hit a six, he came and told me -- hold your shape in the next ball, you don't have to do anything extra, just do what you are doing and don't try to go too hard. Every ball he kept reminding me and that helped.”