Champions Trophy 2025: Shubman Gill reacts to his century, says 'most satisfying innings that I have played'

Shubman Gill delivered a batting masterclass in India’s opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, guiding his team to a commanding 6-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Dubai. The young opener anchored the chase with an unbeaten 101 off 129 balls, marking his first century in an ICC event. Reflecting on his innings, Gill, who won the Player of the Match award, described it as “one of the most satisfying” knocks of his career.

Shubman Gill reacts to his century

Speaking after the match, Gill emphasised the challenges he faced on a sluggish Dubai pitch and how he adapted his approach accordingly.

“Definitely one of my most satisfying innings that I have played and my first century in ICC events. Very satisfying and very happy with the way I performed,” Gill said.

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“When me and Rohit bhai went out there, we thought cutting the ball wasn’t easy because the balls which were outside the off-stump weren’t coming onto the bat that nicely. So I thought of using my feet to even the fast bowlers and tried to go over the circle,” he explained.

Gill also spoke about his crucial partnership with Virat Kohli, during which they constantly discussed ways to keep the scoreboard ticking.

“When the spinners came on, me and Virat bhai were talking in the middle that it’s not easy to score singles off the front foot, so we’ll try to score singles off the back foot. And it’s not easy to hit down the ground, so we just keep rotating the strike,” Gill added.

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Despite his composed innings, Gill acknowledged there was a phase where the pressure mounted on him and India. However, the team management sent him a clear message to bat till the end, a role he executed perfectly.

“At one point, there was a bit of pressure on us. The message was sent from outside that I have to try to bat till the end and that’s what I tried to do,” he said.

Gill also talked about the two key sixes he struck during the chase, both bowled by Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

“The first one gave me a lot of confidence and the second one helped me come closer to my hundred, so both were very satisfying,” he remarked.

India will next face their second group-stage opponent Pakistan on 23 February at the same venue. The Men in Blue will aim to build on their strong start and inch closer to the semifinals. India’s final group-stage match is scheduled against New Zealand on 2 March.