It has often been seen that some of the shots of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli are quite similar. Both can hit a ball – pitched just outside the off-stump – through extra cover as well as the mid-wicket region. And, if one looks at their still frames after the shots have been executed, it seems they are mirror images.
Gill is a self-confessed fan of Kohli. Thus, when he received his maiden India call-up for the upcoming ODI and T20I series in New Zealand, the 19-year-old’s joy was beyond anything. Finally, he was going to realize his dream of sharing the dressing room with his ‘idol’.
During a recent chat with TOI, Shubman said, “I am really excited to share the dressing room with Virat. It is a surreal feeling. He is my idol. I like the way he handles pressure. Now, I’ll get the chance to learn from him directly. Often I watch Virat’s batting videos on YouTube. Whatever I learn, I try and put it into practice in the nets. If I do well for my country, then there is a chance that I might even make the 2019 World Cup squad. For that, I will have to make good every opportunity that is given to me. My preference is the opening slot but if I am given an opportunity in the middle-order, I will try and maximize that chance.”
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Gill has been making a plethora of runs in the recent past as in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, Gill has been nothing short of Bradmanesque. He has scored 728 runs in five matches (nine innings) at an average of 104.
Talking about the same, the youngster said, “I am in good nick and hitting the ball well. The confidence of having scored runs on a consistent basis is there. Grinding it out in domestic cricket has improved my game enormously. It was a surprise call-up for me. I was just going to sleep and suddenly at around 1 am, I got messages from reporters saying that I have been selected. For the first few seconds, I was in a state of shock. Initially, I thought this was more of a speculation type of news; but then when I got the call from BCCI, I was over the moon.”
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For Gill, New Zealand holds special memories as it is in this country that he made his first impression as a promising batsman during the 2018 U-19 World Cup which India won. He was thankful to Rahul Dravid for the evolution in his game.
The youngster explained, “I am deeply influenced by Rahul Sir. He has been with me for the last two years – at the U-19 level and then during India ‘A’ tours. He understands my batting really well. He ensured my batting evolved and got better.”
