Twitter Reactions: After Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill score whirlwind fifties, fans want them in India's T20I squad

The ongoing 2019-20 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is gradually moving the business end with the four semi-finalists already locked in. Four teams- Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Rajasthan and defending champions Karnataka- have made to the semi-finals and fans couldn’t be more excited. The last league stage fixture of Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament saw an insanely high-scoring encounter at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat with Mumbai and Punjab going hammer and tongs against each other.

On a flat track and against hapless bowlers, the likes of Prithvi Shaw (53 off 27 balls), Suryakumar Yadav (80 off 35 balls), Shreyas Iyer (80* off 40 balls), Abhishek Sharma (47 off 29 balls) and Shubman Gill (78 off 38 balls) wreaked havoc. Coming into their last Super League encounter, Mumbai needed to win by a comprehensive margin to upstage the net run-rate of either Tamil Nadu or defending champions Karnataka.

And, Prithvi Shaw came with similar intent. The precociously talented right-handed teenage sensation made his intentions clear from the very beginning, shellacking the Punjab bowlers to all corners of the ground during his 27-ball 53- an innings which included four boundaries and four Brobdingnagian sixes. 

Is it time for Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill to make their way into the T20I set-up?

Shaw has made a resounding comeback after his backdated suspension to score another half-century and once again ignited the debate on social media as to why he should make his way to the Indian T20I set-up. Shaw’s efforts were ably taken forward by a swashbuckling partnership between Shreyas Iyer (80*) and Suryakumar Yadav (80) as Mumbai racked up a near-improbable target of 3-243 after 20 overs.

In a bid to leapfrog either of the top-two sides- Tamil Nadu or Karnataka- Mumbai needed to restrict Punjab within a fixed set of overs. However, on a flat batting track, another prodigious talent, Shubman Gill decided to show a glimpse of his batting ability after having endured a lean Super-League season by smoking a whirlwind 38-ball 78- an innings which included seven fours and five sixes.

Gill’s inning ensured that Mumbai couldn’t qualify into the semi-final but the fans can’t get enough of both him and Shaw and they want to the duo in the Indian T20I set-up, something they asserted on Twitter.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

Prithvi Shaw is an asset to the next level. BCCI should not ruin him!

— Anil Sillay (@anilsillay) November 28, 2019

Keep repeating India have to find Shubman Gill a place somehow. He is really special.

— Anish Ancil (@anishancil) November 27, 2019

Shubman Gill the true successor to Kohli. So so so good!

— Chaitanya (@horkidda) November 27, 2019

Shubman Gill is here to stay and score runs!! pic.twitter.com/VNIE4zkngO

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 27, 2019

Prithvi Shaw has been great in this ongoing #SMAT. Hope he backs in the Indian team soon. @BCCI @BCCIdomestic @PrithviShaw

— Arindam Pakhira (@Caringarindam24) November 25, 2019

Shubman Gill recorded his highest T20 score of 78 (off 38 balls) against Mumbai.

Had Shubman (20y 80d) scored a hundred today, he would have been the 2nd youngest Indian to score a 100 in all 3 formats (FC/List A/T20).

[Rohit Sharma was 19y 339d] #SyedMushtaqAliTrophy #MUMvPUN

— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) November 27, 2019

A pat on back for Shubman Gill from his U-19 captain Prithvi Shaw after a sensational 38-ball 78. Gill himself seems pretty upset for not going the distance after what was a special innings. What a player. #SyedMushtaqAliTrophy

— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) November 27, 2019

Third fifty from 5 matches for Shaw after his return from the Ban, 50* from just 24 balls including 4 fours and 4 sixes against Punjab in the do or die match. #MushtaqAliT20 pic.twitter.com/L17WAG5fvL

— Johns (@CricCrazyJohns) November 27, 2019

Just saw a class from Punjab batsman Abhishek and shubman gill , I guess gill is the best Kohli #SyedMushtaqAliTrophy

— Sai Krishna (@SaiKris75286313) November 27, 2019

Shubman Gill You Rock 😍

— shubham shrivastava (@imshubham76) November 27, 2019

We Karnataka cricket supporters thank shubman gill from the bottom of our hearts 🙏🙏🖤

😆😆

— Anonymous (@lame_brain_) November 27, 2019

Cracking game Mumbai vs Punjab.
Mumbai 243/3 Surya Kumar Yadav 80, Iyer 80, Prithvi Shaw 53.
Punjab 221/6. Shubman Gill 78 class.
Wonderful batting exhibition #SMAT #MUMvPUN

— Rohan R Shanbhag (@rony619619) November 27, 2019

Get ready for the future!
It will be "SHAW – GILL ERA"#SyedMushtaqAli #SyedMushtaqAliTrophy #T20 #prithvishaw #shubmangill #Indian

— 🇱​🇦​🇽​🇲​🇮​🇰​🇦​🇳​🇹​ (@im_laxmikant) November 27, 2019

Shubman Gill.

Take a bow .

You are some batsman .

— Anish Ancil (@anishancil) November 27, 2019

It's the right time for Shikhar Dhawan to announce his retirement from T20Is before permanently missing ODIs and T20Is both due to failures, he's not performing at an ideal Strike Rate, he should leave T20Is for Prithvi Shaw! He can still be a gun ODI batsman.

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 28, 2019

Whatta knock from the young Shubman Gill. Scored 78 off just 38 deliveries. Unlucky way to get out.

Prithvi Shaw and Gill are surely the future prospects for the country. Abhishek Sharma isn’t far behind imo.#SMAT

— 🇮🇳 Soumya Sarkar 🇮🇳 (@SarkarSpeaking) November 27, 2019

A pat on back for Shubman Gill from his U-19 captain Prithvi Shaw after a sensational 38-ball 78. Gill himself seems pretty upset for not going the distance after what was a special innings. What a player. #SyedMushtaqAliTrophy

— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) November 27, 2019

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