Shubman Gill Enters India’s Elite Club Alongside MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Sourav Ganguly
Shubman Gill wins his seventh ODI Player of the Series award, joining Yuvraj, Ganguly and Dhoni on India's elite list.
India may have lost the third ODI to West Indies in New Chandigarh, but Shubman Gill had another reason to celebrate as he was named Player of the Series after India’s 2-1 series win.
Gill scored 334 runs in the three-match series. He hit 110 in the first ODI before producing a stunning unbeaten 223 in the second match, helping India take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
The award was Gill’s seventh Player of the Series title in ODIs since 2022. With that, he moved level with Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni on India’s all-time list.
Only two Indian batters are ahead of Gill on the list. Sachin Tendulkar leads with 15 Player of the Series awards, followed by Virat Kohli with 11.
Gill’s latest award came despite West Indies ending the series on a high. Chasing 352 in the third ODI, the visitors reached 352/5 in 48.2 overs, with Shai Hope hitting an unbeaten 162.
Hope’s knock powered West Indies to their highest successful ODI chase. India had earlier recovered from a poor start at 4/2, with KL Rahul scoring an unbeaten 129 to help the hosts post 351/7.
After the match, Gill admitted that India still have areas to improve before the 2027 ODI World Cup. He said the team had ticked many boxes but needed some fine-tuning.
“I was very happy with the total. I think the game was in control,” Gill said while reflecting on the series.
The India captain also pointed to the team’s fielding as a major concern. India dropped around six or seven catches across the three matches, something Gill said was “not a good sign” with the World Cup approaching.
For Gill, the series was another strong step as India’s ODI captain and batter. His consistency at the top, combined with his growing list of records and awards, continues to make him one of India’s key players heading into the next World Cup cycle.
