BENGALURU: Shubman Gill is the new kid on the block. After proving himself against players of his age, helping India clinch the U-19 World Cup, the Punjab lad is presently in Karnataka, shining against those who are much more senior, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The 18-year-old scored 372 runs to win the man of the tournament award in the U-19 World Cup. A few days later, he was opening for Punjab, showing the hunger to do well against seasoned domestic campaigners. Such dedication does not come as a surprise when one learns about Gill’s love for cricket.
“He only played cricket since he was three-years-old. Kids of that age would play with toys. He never asked for such things. It was only bat and ball for him. He used to sleep with a bat and ball,” Gill’s father, Lakhwinder Singh said.
Gill is yet to visit Punjab after winning the title and has not met his mother too, but his father has come to meet him in Bengaluru. “It had been 45 days since I have met him. So I am excited. We will have a grand party after he comes home.”Lakhwinder was treated to a spectacular ton against an established Karnataka side at the KSCA ground near Bangaluru on Saturday.
His innings had a stamp of maturity, mixed with controlled aggression and calmness of a veteran, which would even make U-19 coach Rahul Dravid proud.After failing in his first three matches, with scores of 25, 4 and 3, Gill could have easily crumbled under pressure. But he showed great character by notching up a hundred against a strong side.
Gill’s shot-making has been compared to India captain Virat Kohli, and the way he used his bottom hand on Saturday was another proof. The similarities are not surprising with Gill having acknowledged witnessing Kohli on YouTube. However, Gill also says that it comes automatically to him.“I do not really try to copy his (Kohli) shots. It comes when I try to find gaps. When you see things, it gets into your muscle memory,” added Gill.
The U-19 players also faced off-field pressure, which could have played spoilsport ahead of their semifinals against Pakistan on January 30. The IPL auction on January 27 and 28 could have been a major disturbance had it not been for Dravid. The former India captain too said that the auction week was stressful.
However, Gill, who was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders for `1.8cr, felt that the time difference beat the stress factor in New Zealand. “We were not really stressed. At that time, sir (Dravid) wanted us to focus only on the World Cup. That is what we all did. The time difference also helped us. The auction was around 12-1 in the morning. So we were all sleeping.”
Stressful or not, Dravid’s young guns delivered with a brilliant win against Pakistan and Australia to win their fourth title. After that special win, Gill wants to bring further laurels. “That (U-19 win) was a great feeling. It cannot be described in words. I hope I will continue making my country proud,” said Gill.
ashimsunam@newindianexpress.com