Not Virat Kohli: Shubman Gill names his cricketing idol and best friend in Team India

Star India batter Shubman Gill is celebrating his 25th birthday today (September 8). On his birthday, Gill revealed that it is not Virat Kohli, but Sachin Tendulkar was his idol when he was growing up.

During the interaction, Shubman Gill also revealed that Ishan Kishan is his best friend in the Indian team. The answer was an expected one as both Gill and Kishan have been spotted spending a lot of time together whenever they are in India's squad together.

Watch: Rishabh Pant's 'maa kasam khaale...' sledge at Kuldeep Yadav sparks laughter, banter goes viral

Shubman Gill picks Sachin Tendulkar as his idol; names Virat Kohli as his favorite player

During an interaction with Star Sports, Shubman Gill revealed a few important details about himself. He explained the reason behind his jersey no. 77 and also revealed his nickname.

"My jersey number is 77. The reason behind getting the jersey no. 77 was, when I played the Under-29 World Cup, I wanted to take the number 7 but it was not available. So I took two sevens (77). My nickname is Kaka, which in Punjabi means baby," Gill said.

Meanwhile, Gill named Sachin Tendulkar as his cricketing idol and Virat Kohli as his favorite cricketer of this generation. He also picked Ishan Kishan as his best friend in the team.

"My cricketing Idol when I was growing up was Sachin (Tendulkar) sir. My current favorite cricketer is Virat (Kohli) bhai. My best friend in the team is Ishan Kishan," Gill added.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Star Sports India (@starsportsindia)

Shubman Gill speaks on facing Jasprit Bumrah

The 25-year-old also spoke about the role of his family in his career, especially his father. He also shared his opinion on facing fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah in the nets and claimed that he loves facing him as he always gives his best.

"The first person I call after winning a match is my dad. One thing that I can't live without is my family. I wear the same set of clothing that I wore on the first match," Gill revealed.

"One buddy that I enjoy the most is facing (Jasprit) Bumrah in the nets. He is always on you. He never gives you an edge. He always wants to intimidate you and show you that he is the best. I love that about him," he added.

Shubman Gill's next international assignment

Shubman Gill is currently playing in the Duleep Trophy 2024 where he is leading India A. However, he had a disappointing match as he registered scores of 25 and 21 in the match. India A eventually lost the match to India B by 76 runs.

Gill is likely to be in action during India's upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home. The first Test will be played in Chennai from September 19 while the second Test will be played in Kanpur from September 27.

Shubman Gill has made tremendous progress in his international career over the years. The right-hander is considered the future of Indian cricket and is also India's vice-captain in white-ball formats.