Shubman Gill struggling with added vice-captaincy responsibility? Batter breaks silence

Team India batter Shubman Gill has opened up about his match-winning knock against Bangladesh during the recent match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Indian vice-captain described his century as one of the most satisfying hundreds of his career, considering the pressure during the match.

Gill proved his worth as the world's No. 1 ODI batter with a brilliant match-winning century against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday, February 20. The right-hander scored an unbeaten 101 off 129 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes, to guide India to victory in the run chase.

One of My Most Satisfying Innings That I Have Played - Shubman Gill

Speaking at the press conference ahead of the match against Pakistan, Shubman Gill stated that a loss against Bangladesh would have put India in a do-or-die situation. Gill admitted that chasing a score of 270-280 would have been more challenging.

"One of my most satisfying innings that I have played. There was a lot of pressure, if we would have lost, this would have been a do or die situation for us. In the middle phase there was pressure on us, but since the target was not to big, it did not become such a big problem. If the target was 270-280, it could have become a problem for us. I of course want to score every game, but it does not work out like that," Gill said, as quoted by India Today.

Chasing 229, Rohit Sharma (41) and Gill provided a solid start by adding 69 runs for the opening wicket. However, Rohit perished in the final over of the powerplay. Gill then anchored the innings with Virat Kohli (22), Shreyas Iyer (15), and Axar Patel (8) as Bangladesh bowlers kept striking at regular intervals.

KL Rahul then partnered with Gill in a crucial 87-run stand, guiding the Indian cricket team to victory in the 47th over. Gill remained unbeaten after scoring his eighth ODI century in a challenging chase. The right-handed batter also became the fastest Indian cricketer to reach eight ODI hundreds.

Vice-Captaincy Hasn’t Changed Anything - Shubman Gill

The 25-year-old stated that being vice-captain has not changed his approach to the game. He added that his focus remains on batting and contributing as a player. Gill also said that the India-Pakistan clash does not change their mindset, as the team wants to win every match.

"Vice-captaincy hasn’t changed anything. While batting, I don't think about the responsibility. Whenever I am batting, I want to think as a batter and do the best for my team. India vs Pakistan doesn’t change anything. We play to win every match," the opening batter said.

The 25-year-old stated that being vice-captain has not changed his approach to the game. He added that his focus remains on batting and contributing as a player. Gill also said that the India-Pakistan clash does not change their mindset, as the team aims to win every match.

Shubman Gill Named Rohit Sharma’s Deputy Ahead of Jasprit Bumrah

Shubman Gill being named Rohit Sharma’s deputy for the Champions Trophy 2025 sparked discussions. Jasprit Bumrah was initially part of the provisional squad before being ruled out due to a back injury.

Both players have leadership experience in different formats. Gill captained India in the T20I series against Zimbabwe in 2024, while Bumrah has led the team in three Test matches, including the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and a 2023 bilateral series against Ireland.

Bumrah has never captained in List-A cricket, but Gill led India C to the Deodhar Trophy final in 2019 at just 20 years old.

Also read: Shubman Gill to eclipse Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma? Pakistan legend makes bombshell prediction