India opener Shubman Gill revealed that he draws inspiration from his senior partner Virat Kohli and lauded his illustrious international career as he became the first batter to hit 50 ODI centuries.
India booked a final berth after outclassing New Zealand by 70 runs in the first semifinal at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Kohli (117) and Gill (80*) scripted a 256-run partnership for the second wicket to set the tone for the magnanimous total of 397/4 in 50 overs. Shreyas Iyer's 70-ball 105 and KL Rahul's unbeaten 39 off 20 balls allowed India to smash 110 runs in the last 10 overs.
On his partnership with Kohli, Gill said, "Every time he comes on to the park, he does something special, and just how consistently he has been able to do it for the past 10-15 years is what is really inspiring."
"For me, it is not so much about the skill that he has but it is more about the hunger when he goes there and the intensity with which he plays the game, is what inspires me. To be able to have that consistently for as long as he has been doing, it is what really inspires me," the opener added.
When asked about the talk in the middle, the 22-year-old drew similarity between his playing style and Kohli's approach.
"Honestly, we just talk about the situation and how we want to play. I think our game is a little similar in style, because, he and I, we also like to keep (the scoreboard) running. I am also a little busy, running singles, twos and hitting boundaries in between. I think we complement each other quite well so it works quite well in the middle," Gill said.
India skipper Rohit Sharma and Gill are the foundation of Men in Blue's batting line-up and in the ongoing tournament, both have aced their jobs. The youngster said Rohit's batting style 'impresses' him and they also complement each other in the middle.
"Everything about him really impresses me, I stand as a learner in the powerplay. He plays 10 overs; I play 15-20 balls. I rest and Rohit comes and does his thing. He scores a four here, a six there and I just watch," he added.
Apart from the batting unit, Mohammed Shami turned the table with his seven-wicket haul in the knockout encounter in front of packed house in Mumbai.
Gill admitted it is difficult to face the pace trio of Shami, Jasprit Burmah and Mohammed Siraj in the nets. He further highlighted that India's bowling unit is making things difficult for other teams in the tournament.
"It is very difficult. In the nets, it is like, if the wicket is good, it is difficult. But it is fun to play because even (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Siraj and Shami -- they enjoy playing us in nets and it is definitely very challenging," he said.
"It has been our bowling attack -- the way they have bowled. They have always either defended the total or restricted the other teams to a below-par score. That has been the difference," Gill added.