Kohli & Gill Were Exceptional But...: Tom Moody Decodes Both Centuries By Indian Stars

In the dark of night, the King confronted his heir-apparent, witnessing an unexpected turn of events. Contrary to popular expectations, Royal Challengers Bangalore, even after Virat Kohli's remarkable consecutive centuries, succumbed to defeat, effectively eliminating their chances of making it to the playoffs in IPL 2023. It was the Prince, in the form of Shubman Gill, who crushed RCB's hopes. Following in the footsteps of his "idol," Gill achieved his second consecutive century as the Gujarat Titans secured a six-wicket victory in Qualifier 1 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Both centuries were exceptional in their own right, yet one made a more significant impact, prompting former Australian cricketer Tom Moody to make an audacious remark as he compared the two remarkable hundreds. Virat Kohli, the player who faced criticism throughout most of IPL 2023 for his strike rate and T20 batting abilities, made a triumphant return, silencing his detractors in style. After smashing a century off 62 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad in RCB's second-to-last game, he replicated the feat in a crucial do-or-die match against the Gujarat Titans.

This century propelled him to the top of the table, surpassing Chris Gayle, as the player with the most centuries in IPL history—seven in total. However, despite his incredible century, it fell short. Similar discussions arose regarding Shubman Gill's performance outside of Ahmedabad. While Gill had outstanding numbers at the Narendra Modi Stadium this season, the best ever by a batter at any specific venue, his performance outside that venue had been lackluster. Yet, with an unbeaten 104 off just 52 balls, he silenced those critics and concluded GT's league phase in impressive fashion.

During an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Tom Moody expressed his admiration for Gill's batting prowess. While he acknowledged Kohli's century, he couldn't contain his enthusiasm for Gill's composed batting technique and relaxed approach to the chase. The former coach of the Sunrisers Hyderabad then highlighted the "significant difference" between the two centuries, attributing it to the number of sixes each player hit. While Kohli hit only one six, Gill smashed eight.

"He is an absolute joy to watch. He exudes composure at the crease. Just by looking at his facial expression and body language, you can see that he is completely in control. He possesses a remarkable skill set. Eight sixes! That was the distinguishing factor between the two centuries. Both were exceptional hundreds, but Kohli only hit one six, whereas Gill hit eight of them and maintained a strike rate of 200. That's a significant difference, especially considering it came during a chase. Hats off to him," Moody praised.

Gill and the Gujarat Titans will now shift their focus to the Chepauk Stadium, where they will face the Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Kohli is reportedly set to travel to England tomorrow for the World Test Championship final.