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Gearing up for his return to the T20I fold as vice-captain, India opener Shubman Gill underwent his first set of training sessions with the Asia Cup squad in Dubai this week. The Punjab batter is seemingly the hottest property in Indian cricket right now, with the BCCI fast-tracking his rise into senior leadership roles across formats.
Gill took over as Test skipper from Rohit Sharma on a successful note with a blockbuster England tour earlier this year. And though he was expected to be rested for the forthcoming home Test season, Gill made a surprise comeback to the T20I set-up after a year as deputy to captain Suryakumar Yadav, all but confirming one opener’s spot in the XI.
Gill’s stunning first impression on Team India
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar recounted how Gill was always destined for greatness after leaving a jaw-dropping impression during his first Team India net session. After setting the 2018 Under-19 World Cup on fire, leading the run charts and adjudged as Player of the Series as India lifted the title, Gill was soon drafted in for his maiden ODI series in New Zealand in early 2019.
“It was his first session and he walked out to bat in the nets. Ravi shastri was the head coach, the captain was Virat Kohliand Ms Dona was still in the team. We were preparing for the 2019 ODI World Cup. Coach Ravi Shastri was so impressed that he wanted to put him in the playing XI. 'Isko Abhi Khila Do' (Play him now). He left that kind of imprint in his first net session itself, and we realised then that this boy was special.”
“The side-arm throwers and I started to bowl at Shubman. When we pitched it up, he would play the drive. If the ball was a little outside off-stump, he cut it. If it was slightly short, he pulled it. The other nets stopped; only his net was going on, and everyone was watching in amazement — wondering what this was.”
Gill almost instantly went onto make his debut on tour, scoring 9 and 7 in his first two ODIs against New Zealand. He has since established himself as one of the most consistent openers in ODI cricket, racking up 2775 runs in 59 matches at a world-leading 59.04 average with eight centuries.
