Watch: Shubman Gill became the youngest India batter to score a T20I hundred when he got to the landmark in the third game against New Zealand at Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Gill, who did not have the greatest start to his T20I career, scoring 76 runs in his first five games at an average of 15.20 and a strike rate of 128.81, silenced his critics with a stunning 126* in only 63 balls, which was also the highest made by an Indian in the format. He is also the seventh men’s India player to get to triple-digits in T20Is.

The opener started off aggressively on Wednesday, reaching 19 off his first 12 deliveries before hitting three fours off Blair Tickner’s first over to set the momentum for the rest of the innings. Batting alongside Tripathi, who played a quick cameo of 44 in 22, Gill continued playing his shots as well and reached his maiden T20I fifty in 35 deliveries.

There was no stopping Gill thereafter. His next fifty came in only 19 deliveries and his last 28 balls saw him score a total of 76 runs. The 23-year-old hit 12 fours and seven sixes in his knock of 126*, with all his maximums coming in the second half of his innings. He reached his hundred with a glorious four over extra cover off Ferguson.

Gill, who is in the form of his life, having scored 567 runs in six ODIs in 2023 already, also registered his best-ever T20 score.

Watch Gill’s innings here: