Shubman Gill surpasses MS Dhoni, enters India’s elite ODI list

India captain Shubman Gill (AP Photo) Shubman Gill added another feather to his cap with his commanding century against Afghanistan in Lucknow on Wednesday, surpassing MS Dhoni on the list of fastest Indians to 1000 ODI runs in balls faced.The India captain reached the four-figure milestone in just 954 deliveries, surpassing former captain Dhoni who got there in 955 balls. Gill now shares the third spot on India’s all-time list with Kapil Dev, while only Hardik Pandya (857 balls) and Kedar Jadhav (936 balls) have reached the milestone faster.Fewest balls to 1000 ODI runs for India:Hardik Pandya – 857Kedar Jadhav – 936Kapil Dev – 954Shubman Gill – 954MS Dhoni – 955Ishan Kishan – 966The latest milestone came during another master class from Gill to lead the Indian side in the second ODI against Afghanistan at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.After India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early and Rohit Sharma departed for 48, Gill took control of the innings. The right-hander combined with Ishan Kishan to put on a stunning 224 for the third wicket, putting the visitors under relentless pressure.Gill reached his ninth ODI century in just 77 deliveries before continuing the onslaught deep into the innings. He eventually fell for a magnificent 154 off 110 balls, an innings decorated with 22 fours and two sixes.Kishan matched Gill’s brilliance with a breathtaking 125 off 79 deliveries as the pair took India past 300 in just 35.5 overs, one of the fastest such efforts in ODI history.Although Afghanistan staged a late comeback with the ball, India’s dominance in the top order ensured that the hosts finished with an impressive 402 on the board.For Gill, the innings was another reminder of his extraordinary rise in ODI cricket. Moving ahead of one of India’s greatest white-ball players in Dhoni, the 26-year-old continues to cement his place among the country’s most impressive current batsmen.