"His hunger makes him different from the other players" - Harbhajan Singh on Shubman Gill
Harbhajan Singh believes Shubman Gill's insatiable hunger sets him apart from the other players of his generation.
Gill has been in excellent form across formats over the last year or so. The Punjab batter will likely be Rohit Sharma's opening partner at the ODI World Cup to be played in India later this year.
During an interaction with News24 Sports, Harbhajan was asked what makes Shubman Gill different from the other young players, to which he responded:
"Shubman is very passionate about his game. His hunger makes him different from the other players because he has the belief to do something and become something."
The former Indian spinner feels a long stint with the national side can only be a just reward for the hard yards Gill's father has put in to get him to this level, stating:
"The hard work his father has put in, the only way that can be repaid is if he plays for India for 15-20 years. The talent and the sort of mindset he has, whatever little I know him, he is an outstanding player. It is so pleasing to watch when he bats."
Gill was born in Fazilka, a city in Punjab with limited cricketing facilities. His father, who was also his coach in his formative years, decided to shift base to Mohali to help his son get the best facilities at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
"I hope he will continue to play for India for many years and one day he will lead the team as well" - Harbhajan Singh on Shubman Gill
Harbhajan Singh concluded by hoping that Shubman Gill will not only represent India for a long time but will also captain the side, saying:
"I hope that he will continue to play for India for many years and one day he will lead the team as well. Then only his father will get satisfied. The satisfaction will be for both him and Punjab because he is our son."
Gill has amassed 1311 and 202 runs at excellent averages of 65.55 and 40.40 in 24 ODIs and six T20Is respectively. However, he does not have a great overall record in Test cricket, aggregating 927 runs at an average of 31.96 in 17 matches.
The youngster was reportedly earmarked for a leadership role by the Kolkata Knight Riders but was not retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 auction. He has excelled for the Gujarat Titans in the last two seasons of the IPL but has not yet been given a formal leadership role, with Hardik Pandya captaining the side and Rashid Khan being his deputy.