All you need to know about Shubman Gill, India's latest batting sensation
Born on 8 September 1999, Shubman Gill debuted for India recently against New Zealand. Hailing from Fazilka, Punjab, the 19-year-old is tipped as a player for the future.
Here are a few interesting facts about the young sensation:
1. Under-19 World Cup: Shubman Gill caught the eye of the cricketing world during the 2018 U19 World Cup in New Zealand, where he amassed 372 runs at an average of 112.38. It ended up being a victorious campaign for India, and Gill bagged the prestigious player of the tournament trophy.
2. Domestic cricket: Gill brought this form into domestic cricket and piled up huge runs in Deodhar Trophy and Ranji Trophy. Opening the batting for Punjab in Ranji Trophy, Gill scored 728 runs at 104. which came at an impressive strike rate of 78.61.
His scores included a 268 against Tamil Nadu and a 148 against Hyderabad, which almost helped Punjab chase down 338 runs within 57 overs, only to fall 14 runs short in a draw.
3. IPL 2018: Gill was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 1.8 crore in the 2018 IPL auction. During the tournament, he left the pundits gasping with his impressive stroke play. He has been retained by KKR for the 2019 season.
4. Technique: Shubman Gill is primarily a backfoot player, possessing technically correct cut and pull shots. Against seamers, Gill stands on the leg stump, and then as the bowler runs in, he shuffles across to meet the ball.
He is an epitome of young upcoming Indian batsmen - relying mainly on timing the ball, but also possessing the power required for the modern game characterized by flat pitches.
Against spinners, Gill uses his feet to unsettle them, plus he also has an effective slog sweep to punish the good length ball. He has, as cricket's cliché goes, an extra half a second to play the ball, which is facilitated by his ability to judge the length of the ball quickly.
5. Replacement for KL Rahul: Gill was added to the Indian squad for the New Zealand tour at the expense of KL Rahul, who had to be dropped following his controversial comments in a talk show. Initially, Gill was a back-up opener for Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, but he made his debut at number 3 - the spot vacated by Virat Kohli who was rested for the last two ODIs and the three-match T20I series.
6. India debut: Gill's baptism in international cricket didn't go as he would have liked. In his maiden appearance he scored 9 runs as New Zealand bundled India out for 92. In his second game he was dismissed for 7, and had to warm the bench throughout the T20I series.