World Cup 2023: We wanted to get better at chasing, says Shubman Gill after perfect record

Indian opener Shubman Gill said they wanted to get better at chasing after their seven-wicket win against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Thursday. India won their fourth consecutive match of the World Cup while chasing down the score.

Bangladesh was kept to a below-par score of 256 runs after Najmul Hossain Shanto decided to bat first. India was given a brisk start as Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma added 88 runs off just 76 balls and laid down the foundation of the run chase.

Rohit continued his purple patch to score an aggressive 48 off just 40 balls whereas Gill timed his way to 53 runs. The chase master, Virat Kohli, continued his love affair with Pune, scoring an unbeaten knock of 103 runs.

Shubman Gill showered praise on the experienced duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who are currently the leading run-getters of the ongoing ODI showpiece with 259 and 265 runs respectively.

“You can see how confident they are, the way they are scoring runs,” Gill said while talking about Rohit and Kohli.

“This is one of the things which was talked about, especially leading up to the World Cup, that we were not chasing that well, those big totals. I think it’s a great way to have that momentum with us in those big games that we’ll have moving forward,” he added.

Gill had to miss the first two matches against Australia and Afghanistan due to dengue however he is delighted to be back in the final XI.

“Obviously it felt nice. When I was a little sick, I was feeling a bit disappointed on missing out on those opportunities, but definitely felt nice to get some game time,” he said.

“You have to be mentally willing to go out there and that’s what I was thinking when I was there. Lost a few kilos in the process but hopefully I’ll be able to gain that back,” Gill added.

Gill added he tries to learn from veterans like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have performed consistently over the years for the team.

“To see them, how they go about their business in the World Cup and in big games, is what I always try to learn from them,” he said.

“There’s a fine line between sometimes being too aggressive or going in the shell, especially playing big games. The way they play, the way their mindset is playing those big games in the World Cup is what I try to learn from them,” Gill added.

India will next take on New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Association Stadium, Dharamshala on Sunday.