Indian Test captain and versatile cricketer Shubman Gill disclosed the event that made him cognizant of his destined path in cricket at the age of 11.
Shubman was interviewed on Apple Music’s official YouTube channel.
In the video, Gill disclosed that at the age of 11, he participated in a camp for under-23 fast bowlers and amassed over ninety runs while competing against significantly older bowlers.
“Honestly, I realized this was going to be my career when I was 11. Like, a moment happened. There was a camp going on of under-23 Indian fast bowlers, and I was only 11. So they were more than double my age, most of the players there, and they were a batsman short. One of my really good friends, one of my closest friends who I practiced with, Khushpreet, was in that camp. He was a fast bowler, and he asked the head coach if he could get me because we were a batsman short and we were playing a match,” Gill recalled.
“At that time, I was batting low in the order, specifically at number seven or eight.” Our first four or five batsmen got out within four or five overs, and then I went in to bat and scored 90-something not out. Although it was just a practice match, that moment and inning gave me the confidence to realize, ‘Okay, the reality is… I am meant to do this,” he added.
The Indian batting luminary disclosed that at the age of three, he would mimic the players his father observed on television with him. Recognizing his aptitude, his father began to mentor him and instructed the laborers on his farm to throw balls at home.
“I would observe the batsman, analyzing his technique and striking methods, and I endeavored to replicate those actions.” When he returned, he would assess whether I was executing it correctly. I was approximately three years old, and he was really astonished. It is uncommon for a three-year-old to replicate observations from a screen with such proficiency. This marked the beginning of the sequence of events. He is my coach, which is how he commenced my training. “Individuals who formerly worked on our farm would come and throw balls at me while I batted,” he stated.
Gill stated that at the age of seven, he relocated to Chandigarh from Fazilka and was enrolled in a cricket academy, which effectively initiated his cricketing career.
“At the age of seven, we relocated from the village to Chandigarh, where I currently reside, due to the lack of facilities and opportunities in the village. “Chandigarh served as the capital of Punjab, a thriving city, and that is our destination. He enrolled me in an academy, which marked the beginning of my true cricketing journey,” he concluded.
Gill has made significant progress since his early days of hitting on his father’s farm and has developed into a promising all-format player. At 26 years old, Gill has amassed 6,020 runs in 146 innings across 114 international matches, achieving an average of 46.30 and a strike rate of 80.05, including 18 centuries and 25 fifties.
Having secured an Indian Premier League (IPL) title, the Orange Cap, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and a commendable 2-2 draw against England in his inaugural series as captain, the batter is poised for more accomplishments as the latest emblem of Indian cricket.
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