Not too long ago, Shubman Gill was at the top of the world with his rise in international cricket, and former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar recently shared an anecdote about the youngster’s very first net session with the senior team. The youngster had shot to fame during the 2018 U19 World Cup with 372 runs in six matches and promptly made his way into India’s senior setup with a debut in 2019.
Speaking about Gill’s initiation into the Indian team, Bangar said that the Punjab-born batter had left a long-lasting impression on then-head coach Ravi Shastri during a practice session. Bangar pointed out that in the Indian team, young batters are often tested against throw-down specialists who bowl at high speeds, which is almost like a “screen test” to gauge their readiness.
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“The first glimpse we had of Shubman Gill during his first net session for India, he played some absolute crackers against the throw-down specialists. It’s an informal tradition in the Indian team—if you want approval, you have to prove yourself in that session. And during that screen test, Gill absolutely smashed it,” Sanjay Bangar recalled in a Star Sports video. “Ravi Shastri immediately said, ‘We have a ready-made player!’ That is how impactful he was right from the word go.”
#SanjayBangar recalls @ShubmanGill‘s first net session, leaving a lasting impression on the coaches.
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Since then, Shubman Gill has confirmed his position in India’s playing XI across all formats. To date, in 101 internationals, he has made 4,886 runs with an average of 42.85, having scored 12 centuries and 24 fifties. On the other hand, he was the fastest man to score 2,000 ODI runs, which took him only 38 innings to achieve.
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Shubman Gill, who has also entered the Indian elite club of century-makers in all three formats, will now be seen in action next in the second ODI, scheduled to be held at Cuttack on 9th February. He is walking into the match with confidence high following an impressive 87-run knock while guiding India through a comfortable chase in the first ODI against England in Nagpur.
