MOHALI: It is the summer of 2011. Shubman Gill is summoned to the PCA Stadium nets. A state-level camp for pacers is short of batsmen. Aged only 11, Gill who lives close to the stadium, has no issues facing some of the bowlers who are twice his age. So impressed is camp in-charge Karsan Ghavri that he calls up PCA officials and tells them not to lose this talent.
Yuvraj Singh is the biggest match-winner to come out of Punjab. Man of the tournament in two of the World Cups that India won this millennium, he leaves the dressing room and stands close to the ropes, cheering runs made by Gill. He has his heart in his mouth when Gill mistimes a shot on 196, but the ball lands between three Tamil Nadu fielders. Yuvraj has been saying for over three years that this boy will play for India.
This Ranji Trophy Elite Group B fixture is live on TV, but Kapil Dev calls up friends to know what Gill is up to. Amol Muzumdar, a prolific scorer in the domestic circuit doing TV commentary, keeps saying ‘mark this boy’ and cheers every time Gill sends the ball to boundary. “I saw him at NCA five years back. He stood out,” he says.
Gill stood out once again. On Saturday against Tamil Nadu, his unbeaten 199 off 234 balls set him apart as Punjab ended Day 2 at 308/2. With a lead of 92 runs, they are in the driving seat. Barring a miracle, Tamil Nadu’s knockout hopes are gone.
The day was all about Gill. Apart from an inside edge that Dinesh Karthik couldn’t hold on to, each of his other 20 boundaries and four sixes were hit with such precision and command that fielders barely moved. “It wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on. I had to balance my natural game with the situation and the pitch. You might get good balls that you can’t do anything about, but it’s important to put the bad balls away,” Gill said.
When he came out with Jiwanjot Singh in the first session, he took the attack to the opposition, unafraid of hitting in the air if need be. On a pitch where most of the experienced batsmen struggled, Gill was in a league of his own.
At 19, he is part of the India A setup, which means he is on the radar of the national selectors. His under-19 World Cup-winning captain Prithvi Shaw has already shown the way and Gill is taking each opportunity as preparation for the next level. “Progress has been good. I have not adjusted my game in any age-group level.
“It’s been more mental, how to make use of the start and what shots to play and improve the conversion rate. That’s what matters if you have to play for India. These thoughts (talks of India potential) come when I’m in the dressing room. When I enter the field, I realise that only performance can take me forward.”