Rahul Dravid Is The Best Thing That Has Happened To Me: Shubman Gill

There are very few players who enjoy a seamless transition from Under-19 cricket to the higher level. The likes of Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma and several other names might suggest that it is quite easy but there are hundreds of names who failed to make it big despite impressing on the Under-19 stage. However, Shubman Gill is looking well set to join the elite list of individuals who lived up to the early promise.

Gill’s journey has been absolutely phenomenal. He shot to limelight in 2014. Back then he slammed 351 in Punjab’s Inter-District Under-16 tournament. On his Under-16 state debut for Punjab, he made an unbeaten double-century in the Vijay Merchant Trophy.

He then enhanced his reputation with a starring performance in this year’s Under-19 World Cup. The right-hander scored four consecutive 50-plus scores in the tournament, including a match-winning century in the semi-final against Pakistan. While the focus was firmly on Prithvi Shaw, it was Gill who almost single-handedly carried India’s batting in the tournament. Even his 31-run knock in the final was one of the most attractive knocks in the tournament. His exceptional exploits helped him bag the Player-of-the-Series award for aggregating 372 runs in six matches at a mind-boggling average of 124.

The performance helped him bag a lucrative IPL deal as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought him for INR 1.8 crore. In the IPL, he scored 203 runs including a match-winning fifty against eventual winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He was later named in the India A squad for the one-day games.

The18-year old went on to justify the decision by slamming three fifties.

And while many find it difficult to up the ante after playing Under-19 cricket, it has been an easy ride for Gill in his own words. The stylish batsman credited India U-19 and A coach Rahul Dravid for his smooth transition.

“For me the transition from U-19 World Cup to T20 (IPL) and then to ODIs in England was not that difficult. The mental preparation and getting used to the conditions well in advance helped a lot. And when you have a mentor like Rahul Dravid, every challenge becomes worth taking on. His contribution has been enormous in shaping my game. He is the best thing that has happened to me,” Gill told Hindustan Times.

When asked if there was rivalry with Prithvi Shaw, considering both are seen as future international players, Gill replied: “Not at all. We are like brothers. He does his job and I do mine. And when we do well, we congratulate each other too.”

Gill is now eyeing to deliver in domestic cricket to continue his upward rise.

“Post the U-19 World Cup, I have had a chance to play alongside cricketers like Dinesh Karthik and then seeing Chris Gayle and others from close quarters have been a learning curve. Now I need to deliver in the domestic tournaments to get to next level,” said Gill.