Shubman Gill (Image Credit: X/@ShubmanGill)
Despite Gujarat Titans suffering a defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, skipper Shubman Gill created history with another outstanding IPL season as captain.Gill played a brilliant knock of 85 off 49 balls, smashing five fours and seven sixes at a strike rate of 173.47 during GT’s chase against his former franchise. With that innings, the Gujarat captain entered an elite list featuring legends like David Warner, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar for recording multiple 500-run IPL seasons as captain.Gill has now scored 552 runs in 12 matches this season at an average of 46.00 and a blistering strike rate of 160.46, including five half-centuries. He currently sits just behind opening partner Sai Sudharsan, who leads the run charts for Gujarat with 554 runs. This marks the second time Gill has crossed the 500-run mark in an IPL season while leading a franchise. Last year, in his first season as GT captain, he amassed 650 runs in 15 innings at an average of 50.00 and a strike rate of 155.87, finishing as the fourth-highest run-scorer of the tournament.Only Warner and KL Rahul have achieved more 500-plus IPL seasons as captain. Warner recorded three such seasons for Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring 848 runs in 2016, 641 in 2017 and 692 in 2018. Rahul also managed three consecutive 500-run seasons as captain (670 runs in 2020, 626 runs in 2021 and 616 runs in 2022) while leading Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants.Gill now joins Tendulkar and Kohli, who each registered two 500-plus IPL seasons as captains. Tendulkar achieved the feat for Mumbai Indians in 2010 and 2011, while Kohli famously scored 973 runs during his extraordinary 2016 campaign for Royal Challengers Bengaluru after first crossing the mark 557 runs in 2015.The GT skipper also continues to enjoy batting against his former side KKR. In six innings against Kolkata, Gill has now scored 356 runs at an impressive average of 59.33 and a strike rate of 158.22, including three half-centuries and a highest score of 90.
