Wasn't thinking about 200 initially, says Shubman Gill after his match-winning double ton in 1st ODI vs NZ

India batsman Shubman Gill confessed that he hadn't considered the possibility of a double century until the 47th over of his scintillating innings against New Zealand in the first ODI. His remarkable knock of 208 runs off 149 deliveries, which included 19 boundaries and nine sixes, made him the youngest double centurion in the history of ODI cricket.

It was Gill's third century in ODIs and his first double ton in the 50-over format, earning him a well-deserved Player-of-the-Match award after the hosts secured a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

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A monumental double-century from @ShubmanGill makes him the Player of the Match as #TeamIndia register a 12-run victory in the first #INDvNZ ODI 

Scorecard  https://t.co/DXx5mqRguU @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/HSCROoJfPi

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 18, 2023

After the game, Shubman Gill admitted that he hadn't been expecting to reach a double century until the 47th over. He revealed that he was surprised to have achieved such a feat, and that it was a momentous occasion for him.

“I was waiting eagerly to go out and do what I want to do. With wickets falling, at times I wanted to unleash and I'm glad I could do it at the end. Sometimes when the bowler is on top, you need to make them feel pressure. Need to avoid dot balls, show some intent and hit hard into the gaps. Which is what I was doing,” Gill said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

“Wasn't really thinking of 200, but once I hit sixes in the 47th over, I did feel that I could. Before that, I was playing what was coming to me,” he added.

Gill was backed by the Indian team management for the opening slot despite Ishan Kishan's double ton in the final ODI of the tour of Bangladesh last month. The stylish right-hander certainly justified the trust placed in him, as he followed up with a century and a half-century in the preceding ODI series against Sri Lanka.

India posted 349 runs in their 50 overs, but were made to work hard for their victory by Michael Bracewell's hard-hitting 140, which brought the game to a nail-biting finish. In the end, the hosts managed to hold on to their lead and claim a 12-run win.

The upcoming second ODI between India and New Zealand is set to take place in Raipur on Saturday (January 21), and promises to be an exciting match.

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