Champions Trophy: Shubman Gill Plans to Take His Time in Final Against New Zealand

India's key opening batsman Shubman Gill is set to make the most of the opportunity as he prepares for his second ICC tournament final. The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, will take on New Zealand in the final of the Champions Trophy on Sunday.

Gill had a poor performance in the ICC 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad, scoring only four runs before getting out. India eventually lost the game by six wickets, failing to secure their third tournament title.

But Gill has matured since then and is now a calmer player. Ranked No.1 in the ICC ODI batting charts, the vice-captain is also mentally more capable of withstanding pressure and concentrating on staying longer at the crease.

"Of course, there were some nerves in that game," ICC quoted Gill as saying before India's pressure game against New Zealand.

"I gained a lot from that experience. It was my first ICC final, and I was extremely pumped. I felt like I was running out of time to take charge of the game. But now I realize that in big ICC knockout matches, you can give yourself a bit more time than you think at the beginning."

India's 25-year-old thinks India enters the final with good momentum, having achieved their fourth consecutive ICC title final in under two years. India, led by Rohit Sharma, has participated in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, the 2023 ODI World Cup final, and the 2024 T20 World Cup final. Sunday's encounter will be the newest addition to that count.

"We had lost the final of the World Cup in 2023 but then won the T20 World Cup in 2024. That has provided us with nice momentum to come into this final," Gill mentioned. "It will be an interesting contest, and if we can win it, it would be a great way to sign off for the year in this format."

He also highlighted the importance of the event, recognizing Indian fans' expectations.

"It's a very big opportunity for us. During any ICC tournament, there is always huge responsibility and pressure from our fans. We have reached the final in the last two ICC tournaments, and now we have another opportunity to reach the ultimate," he said.