IND vs NZ 2022-23, 1st ODI: Shubman Gill joins the elite list after slamming 200; social media overjoyed

IND vs NZ 2022-23: India gave the New Zealand bowlers a hard time with the bat, slamming 200. Consequently, besides setting records, he has joined an elite list of ODI double centurions, while social media has been overjoyed.

Team India was desperate to put on a show with the bat against New Zealand and eventually did so in the opening One-Day International (ODI) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. While the hosts managed to post a convincing total of 349/8, opener Shubman Gill lit up the Indian innings with a passionate knock of 208. It arrived off 145 balls, including 19 fours and eight sixes, at a strike rate of around 140.00. While it was his maiden double hundred in the format, he became the fifth Indian to slam the same and was the seventh instance of an Indian hitting the same, sending social media into a frenzy.

Overall, Gill became the eighth man in ODIs to strike a 200, while considering the other records he scripted:

• He is the second fastest Indian to his third ODI ton (19 innings), with veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan (17) leading.
• He is the third fastest to 1,000 ODI runs after Imam-ul-Haq (19) and Fakhar Zaman (18).
• He is the fastest Indian to 1,000 ODI runs.
• He is the highest scorer against NZ in an ODI.
• He is the youngest double centurion in an ODI (23 years and 132 days).
• He has become the highest run-scorer in ODIs in the opening 19 innings (1,102).

In another exciting stat, there was a difference of 173 runs between Gill and the next top-scorer of the side, Rohit Sharma (34), which is the third most considerable difference in an ODI innings.

As for the match, India posted a mammoth total of 349/8, with Gill being the top scorer. As for New Zealand, pacers Henry Shipley and Daryl Mitchell have been the highest wicket-takers, with a couple of wickets each, while orthodox spinner Mitchell Santner has been the most economical for the visitors.