While he did not have a memorable outing on a personal level, the match ended up being a nail-biter with the Men in Blue coming out victors by a slender two-run margin.

The former U-19 World Cup member was trapped in front by Maheesh Theeksana inside the powerplay for just seven runs. He did not have an eventful debut in the other formats as well but has significantly improved with time.

When asked about the feeling while making his T20I debut a few days earlier, Shubman Gill said in a pre-match interview ahead of the second contest against Sri Lanka:

While not his first-choice format, Gill has proved his mettle in T20 cricket with consistent performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as in the domestic circuit.

Noting how he approaches his batting with a balance of caution and aggression at the top of the order, Gill said:

The Punjab-born batter scored his maiden T20 hundred during the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, just mere days after his maiden call-up to the T20I side for the tour of New Zealand. While he did not make his debut in the rain-marred series away from home, he did not have to wait too long for the opportunity.

“It is not easy for a spinner to defend 13 runs on that ground” - Shubman Gill on Axar Patel bowling the final over in the first T20I

The youngster’s first T20I outing was a memorable one in terms of quality as the Wankhede Stadium was treated to a thriller of a contest. Team India had to hold their nerves and arguably snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel defended 13 runs off the last over, where the equation got trickier with the visitors only requiring five to win off the last three balls. He held his nerve against Chamika Karunaratne and helped India attain an early lead in the series.

Praising Axar Patel for scaling the uphill task under tremendous pressure, Gill said:

Gill is expected to be in action for the upcoming second T20I between India and Sri Lanka at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune today (January 5). Rahul Tripathi is primed to make his debut with Sanju Samson ruled out of the T20I series.

Will Shubman Gill be a consistent all-format player for India in the near future? Let us know what you think.

0 votes