Shubman Gill Smashes Double Century in India-New Zealand ODI

India’s Shubman Gill put on a monumental display of batting against New Zealand in the first ODI match between the two sides, smashing three back to back sixes in the 49th over to become the fifth Indian to score a double century in ODI cricket. Gill’s 208 off 149 balls was the centerpiece of India’s successful chase of 348 runs, which was set by New Zealand. India had lost wickets periodically between the 10th and 20th over and the dismissals of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya later, but Gill’s performance was able to paper over these cracks, leading India to an impressive victory. Gill’s knock was praised by many, with former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar saying it was among the best innings he had ever seen. India’s success was also due to the contributions of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant who, despite having a slow start, ended up with 91 and 77 runs respectively. This victory against New Zealand was India’s first in the series, and will no doubt give the team a much-needed confidence boost going into the next match.