Sher-E-Punjab T20: Shubman Gill Makes Debut As Fazilka Falcons Edge Ludhiana Lions By One Run

By Pramit Meher

**One-Run Thriller in Punjab: Gill's Debut Fire Powers Falcons Over Lions** What a way to light up Match 15 of the SherEPunjab T20! India captain Shubman Gill made his season debut for the Fazilka Falcons, and the crowd definitely got their money's worth. **Gill Sets The Tone** Opening the batting, Gill looked every bit the class act—blasting 40 off just 21 balls with 4s and a 6. A proper flying start that got the Falcons off to a strong run. Arshdeep Singh, meanwhile, won the toss and chose to bowl first with his Ludhiana Lions. **Chadha's Spell Brings Falcons Back To Earth** But that's when Kartik Chadha stepped up. A stunning spell of 4/9 in her four overs—including the prized wicket of Gill herself—broke the Falcons' momentum. Still, useful knocks from Prerit Dutta (36 off 23) and Jaiveer Bhinder Singh (21 off 18) saw Fazilka post a workmanlike 170/9. **Lions Come Close** Chasing 171, the Lions looked in trouble early. Karteek Sharma tried to anchor with a steady 32 off 29, but regular wickets had the required rate climbing. Then came a late explosion—Krish Bhagat and Madhav Pathania added an unbeaten 61 off 29 balls. Pathania was the villain of the piece for the Falcons, going on to smash an unbeaten 37 off 16. Down to 6 needed off the final delivery, Pathania could only manage a boundary—leaving the Lions agonisingly one run short. **Player Of The Match:** Shubman Gill, for that explosive debut knock. *Source: IANS* Source: Cricketnmore