Shubman Gill equals Babar Azam’s record during fourth ODI ton

Shubman Gill made his second century in the three-match series against New Zealand to equal a rare record set by Babar Azam against West Indies in 2016.

Gill made 112 runs off just 78 balls in Indore on Tuesday, bringing up his fourth ODI ton and the second of the series. Earlier in the series in Hyderabad, the opener had smashed a 208 to become the fifth Indian to get to an ODI double hundred.

With the latest knock, Gill took his tally of runs in the bilateral series to 360, having made 40 in the second ODI of the series.

The tally of runs is the joint-most recorded by any batter in a bilateral ODI series of three matches or lower. In 2016, Babar Azam also made 360 runs during the series against West Indies, registering three hundreds in three matches. 

Most runs in a bilateral three-match series in men’s ODIs

Gill has had a terrific start to his ODI career, racking up 1254 runs in 21 matches at an average of 73.76 and a strike rate of 109.80. And the youngster completed 1000 runs earlier in the series in his 19th ODI innings, becoming the fastest Indian and the second-fastest global to the landmark.

In Indore, he put on a double-century stand with Rohit Sharma to put India in the driving seat after the hosts won the toss and opted to bat first. 

Gill and Rohit have now shared six opening partnerships in ODIs, with five of them crossing the fifty-run mark.