Indian ODI captain Shubman Gill added a lighthearted moment to the evening during the Board of Control for Cricket in India Naman Awards 2026 held on March 15. Known for his calm presence on the field, Gill surprised fans with his humor while answering a tactical question during an on-stage interaction with renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle.
Gill was joined by India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur and T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav during the discussion. Bhogle asked the captains a strategic question that every cricket fan loves debating — which players they would trust to bat and bowl in the final overs of an ODI match.
Without much hesitation, Gill named left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh as his choice for bowling at the death and veteran opener Rohit Sharma as the batter he would rely on to finish the game. However, Gill couldn’t resist adding a playful remark about Arshdeep’s bowling during the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final against England.
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“Arshdeep, if he’s not bowling wide yorkers,” Shubman Gill joked. “He does bowl it well, but sometimes it becomes a two-over over, so I don’t want that,” he said with a laugh, referring to the pacer’s occasional wides under pressure. Gill then returned to the serious side of the discussion while explaining his batting choice. “So, the bowler would be him, and the batsman, if Rohit bhai is there, that would be amazing,” he added.
SHUBMAN GILL PICKS ROHIT SHARMA AS BATTER FOR 50TH OVER & ARSHDEEP AS BOWLER. ♥️🇮🇳
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) March 15, 2026
Earlier, answering the same question, Suryakumar picked Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya for the T20 format, while Harmanpreet named Deepti Sharma and Smriti Mandhana for women’s matches.
The conversation also turned emotional when the captains were asked what representing India meant to them. “A dream,” Shubman Gill said. “Every time you step on the field for your country, you feel grateful and thank the universe for the opportunity.”
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The evening became even more special for Gill as he was honoured with the Men’s Cricketer of the Year award for 2025 after scoring an impressive 1,764 international runs in 42 innings. The 26-year-old will next be seen leading the Gujarat Titans in the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season.
