'Welcome Back Prince': Shubman Gill's Return Sparks Celebration, Opener Makes ODI World Cup Debut vs Pakistan

Shubman Gill recovered from dengue just in the nick of time to feature against Pakistan and make his debut in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. The youngster had been sidelined for India’s previous two World Cup games after suffering through illness. His platelets count had dipped below 1,00,000 and the opener event spent a night in hospital in Chennai but two days before the India vs Pakistan ODI World Cup clash in Ahmedabad, Gill arrived in the city where he loves to bat.

The 24-year-old had scored four centuries at the venue in T20Is and Test matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium, and he has been in red-hot form in the year 2023.

Gill practised for nearly an hour a day before the match, and Rohit Sharma had confirmed in his pre-match presser that the youngster was 99% available. When the Indian captain announced that Gill was selected in the playing XI ahead of Ishan Kishan, fans reacted with a huge roar.

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Shubman Gill thus made his ODI World Cup debut at his favourite venue against Pakistan, it couldn’t have been scripted any better, and social media celebrated the return of ‘Prince’ in a stunning manner.

Check how fans reacted to Shubman Gil’s inclusion in India’s XI:

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Gill was the first fielder to get his ball to the hands on the ball and it will certainly be a big test for the opener as he will have to field for fifty over as Rohit won the toss and elected to bowl first, and then he will have to come out to open along with the captain.

It turned out to be a decent start for Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq who managed to grab four early boundaries against Mohammed Siraj and put some pressure on the Indian pacer.