“Future” – Rohit Sharma’s 21-month-old tweet for Shubman Gill goes viral after double century in IND vs NZ 1st ODI

India captain Rohit Sharma’s 21-month-old tweet for his opening partner Shubman Gill has gone viral on Twitter. The development came as the latter scored his maiden ODI double hundred in the first ODI against New Zealand in Hyderabad on Tuesday, January 18.

For the uninitiated, Gill scored 208 runs off 149 balls against the Blackcaps, including nine sixes and 19 boundaries. Despite posting 349/8 in their allotted 50 overs, Team India won the match by a narrow margin of 12 runs.

In a tweet, Shubman Gill praised Rohit Sharma’s pull shots on his 34th birthday (April 30, 2020). He wrote:

“Well, no one does pull shots better than the #Hitman. Happy Birthday! @ImRo45.”

In response, Sharma expressed gratitude for the birthday wish and replied to Gill:

“Thanks, future.”

It’s worth mentioning that Gill has been touted as the future of Indian cricket for his consistency in ODIs. He has already cemented his place in the side ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup at home.

The right-hander amassed 638 runs in 12 ODIs at an average of 70.89 last year.

In 2023, he has already scored 415 runs in four ODIs at a staggering average of 103.75.

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“Free-flowing batter and it’s quite exciting to watch” – Rohit Sharma on Shubman Gill

Rohit Sharma is impressed with Shubman Gill's shot-making during his double century and his sublime form ahead of the World Cup.

Speaking to Star Sports at the post-match presentation, he said:

“He (Gill) is going really well. The form he was in, we wanted to make use of it and that’s why we backed him in the SL series. Free-flowing batter and it’s quite exciting to watch.”

Gill recently scored 207 runs in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, including 116 off 97 balls in the third ODI. Team India won the series 3-0 at home.

The 23-year-old will look to continue his explosive form as India look to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series against the Kiwis.

Rohit Sharma and Co. will next be seen in action in the second ODI against New Zealand in Raipur on Saturday, January 21.