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First Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
How Rahul Dravid played a role in shaping Shubman Gill's cricketing journey
While former India all-rounder Karsan Ghavri spotted a 12-year-old Shubman Gill during a pace-bowling camp in Chandigarh, it was batting legend Rahul Dravid's recommendation years later that would fast-track the top-order batter's entry into international cricket. read more Shubman Gill was coached by Rahul Dravid in the 2018 U-19 World Cup as well as in the latter's stint as Team India head coach from 2021 to 2024. PTI When Lakhwinder Singh Gill, an affluent farmer from Chakh Khere Wala village, which is just 10km from the Indo-Pakistan border, decided to move to Mohali to give wings to his younger child Shubman's cricketing talent, he didn't have a Plan B in mind. The boy was not even nine years old but the only 'toy' he ever played with was a cricket bat gifted by his grandfather Sardar Didar Singh. Shubman Gill's story is as much about adhering to the 3 'Ds' (Discipline, Dedication and Determination) as it is about a pushy father, who was ready to move mountains to see his son wear that India cap. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And on June 20, when Shubman walks out wearing that navy blue India blazer over his whites alongside English counterpart Ben Stokes at the iconic Headingley, Lakhwinder can surely raise a toast. It would be for his heady 16-year journey to see that 'another boy at another coaching camp' is polished to perfection to become India's next Test captain. Not all sporting stories need to be sob stories. They could also be stories of resilience, obsession for excellence and the sacrifices made as a family for years. Moving out of one's comfort zones, missing social gatherings for years, not having an outing as a family. From a distance, all of it might not look that difficult but monotony in pursuit of excellence certainly has a different ring to it. 'We had not attended any wedding festivities for years so that our son's focus on cricket doesn't waiver,' Lakhwinder had told PTI when Shubman first came into national prominence with an Under-19 World Cup hundred against Pakistan in 2018. The Gill family had the resources from the beginning. Grandfather Didar could afford a makeshift pitch on his sprawling courtyard at his Fazilka home and the father could risk shifting a family of four to Chandigarh – far removed from a very comfortable life they had in the village. Gill's story is a classic case of being at the right place at the right time and also doing his bit when it is absolutely necessary. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Otherwise how in the world would former India seamer Karsan Ghavri, who was in Mohali in 2011 for a pace bowler's camp organized by PCA under the aegis of BCCI, find out that there were no batters who could face bowlers at said camp. 'Kadoo bhai' (as he is known in Indian cricket circuit) took a walk with one of his assistants in close vicinity of the PCA Stadium and stopped by to watch an Under-14 game where a young boy's technique caught his attention. He wanted to know more about the boy and approached the only other man around, who stood under the shade of a tree, watching the proceedings intently. 'Who's that boy? Any idea?' he asked the man and as fate had it, it was Lakhwinder watching his son bat. 'That's my son Shubman and he is 12 years old,' the father had answered. The man with 100-plus Test wickets didn't waste one moment before telling Gill to report for pace bowler's camp the very next day. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The result was a 12-year-old standing up to the likes of erstwhile India U-19 seamers like Sandeep Sharma with minimum fuss. Fast-tracking Gill into the Punjab U-14 side was then a matter of time after Kadoo bhai's strong recommendation. Serendipity happened not once but twice for Gill. During India A's 2018 tour of England, MSK Prasad's selection committee was picking the next lot for the List A games. 'Anmolpreet Singh had a great season and one of the five selectors was bent on putting him on that flight. Anmol had runs in domestic cricket and his choice would have been justified. Now Rahul (Dravid), who was the NCA head and India A coach, had a request for the selectors,' a former national selector recalled. 'Rahul, everyone knows, is polite to a fault. He had just one request for the panel. He said, 'please select this boy Shubman and accommodate Anmol for another A tour'. 'We couldn't turn down his request and Shubman within months of U-19 World Cup triumph was in India A team,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Anmolpreet had runs but Shubman had something more, technique and temperament. And at the elite level, these two count as much as runs. Dravid had seen something special and didn't want the boy to hang around in domestic cricket for too long. As Ian Chappell once famously said 'too many years in domestic cricket will allow chinks to creep into the system'. He played some significant knocks for India A in England during the one-day tri-series but none more important than a double hundred against West Indies A in a 'Test' match a year after. There was no looking back after that. While his Test match batting is still a work in progress but with wrists which are supple, physique which is sinewy and a languid stance to boot, he has had the game for ODIs. The snap pull or a short arm jab over mid-wicket or a cover-drive played with minimal back-lift, Shubman in Blues has been Virat Kohli's extension. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In home Tests, he has had his moments but England will be a test of his batsmanship. As far as leadership is concerned, the current IPL is an indicator that he is growing in the role. And perhaps, if Gill is the captain, Gautam Gambhir is the right man to be there during his inception days. The ride won't be a smooth one and there are no guarantees of success. But you can't hold it against Shubman for not giving his 200 percent. Indian cricket is hoping for 'Shubh' Arambh.
NDTV
26-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Rahul Dravid Pushed For Shubman Gill's Elevation Over Another Star, Selectors Couldn't Turn Down
When Lakhwinder Singh Gill, an affluent farmer from Chakh Khere Wala village, which is just 10km from the Indo-Pakistan border, decided to move to Mohali to give wings to his younger child Shubman's cricketing talent, he didn't have a Plan B in mind. The boy was not even nine years old but the only 'toy' he ever played with was a cricket bat gifted by his grandfather Sardar Didar Singh. Shubman Gill's story is as much about adhering to the 3 'Ds' (Discipline, Dedication and Determination) as it is about a pushy father, who was ready to move mountains to see his son wear that India cap. And on June 20, when Shubman walks out wearing that navy blue India blazer over his whites alongside English counterpart Ben Stokes at the iconic Headingley, Lakhwinder can surely raise a toast. It would be for his heady 16-year journey to see that "another boy at another coaching camp" is polished to perfection to become India's next Test captain. Not all sporting stories need to be sob stories. They could also be stories of resilience, obsession for excellence and the sacrifices made as a family for years. Moving out of one's comfort zones, missing social gatherings for years, not having an outing as a family. From a distance, all of it might not look that difficult but monotony in pursuit of excellence certainly has a different ring to it. "We had not attended any wedding festivities for years so that our son's focus on cricket doesn't waiver," Lakhwinder had told PTI when Shubman first came into national prominence with an Under-19 World Cup hundred against Pakistan in 2018. The Gill family had the resources from the beginning. Grandfather Didar could afford a makeshift pitch on his sprawling courtyard at his Fazilka home and the father could risk shifting a family of four to Chandigarh -- far removed from a very comfortable life they had in the village. Gill's story is a classic case of being at the right place at the right time and also doing his bit when it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise how in the world would former India seamer Karsan Ghavri, who was in Mohali in 2011 for a pace bowler's camp organized by PCA under the aegis of BCCI, find out that there were no batters who could face bowlers at the said camp. 'Kadoo bhai' (as he is known in Indian cricket circuit) took a walk with one of his assistants in close vicinity of the PCA Stadium and stopped by to watch an Under-14 game where a young boy's technique caught his attention. He wanted to know more about the boy and approached the only other man around, who stood under the shade of a tree, watching the proceedings intently. "Who's that boy? Any idea?" he asked the man and as fate had it, it was Lakhwinder watching his son bat. "That's my son Shubman and he is 12 years old," the father had answered. The man with 100-plus Test wickets didn't waste one moment before telling Gill to report for pace bowler's camp the very next day. The result was a 12-year-old standing up to the likes of erstwhile India U-19 seamers like Sandeep Sharma with minimum fuss. Fast-tracking Gill into the Punjab U-14 side was then a matter of time after Kadoo bhai's strong recommendation. Serendipity happened not once but twice for Gill. During India A's 2018 tour of England, MSK Prasad's selection committee was picking the next lot for the List A games. "Anmolpreet Singh had a great season and one of the five selectors was bent on putting him on that flight. Anmol had runs in domestic cricket and his choice would have been justified. Now Rahul (Dravid), who was the NCA head and India A coach, had a request for the selectors," a former national selector recalled. "Rahul, everyone knows, is polite to a fault. He had just one request for the panel. He said, 'please select this boy Shubman and accommodate Anmol for another A tour'. "We couldn't turn down his request and Shubman within months of U-19 World Cup triumph was in India A team," he said. Anmolpreet had runs but Shubman had something more, technique and temperament. And at the elite level, these two count as much as runs. Dravid had seen something special and didn't want the boy to hang around in domestic cricket for too long. As Ian Chappell once famously said "too many years in domestic cricket will allow chinks to creep into the system". He played some significant knocks for India A in England during the one-day tri-series but none more important than a double hundred against West Indies A in a 'Test' match a year after. There was no looking back after that. While his Test match batting is still a work in progress but with wrists which are supple, physique which is sinewy and a languid stance to boot, he has had the game for ODIs. The snap pull or a short arm jab over mid-wicket or a cover-drive played with minimal back-lift, Shubman in Blues has been Virat Kohli's extension. In home Tests, he has had his moments but England will be a test of his batsmanship. As far as leadership is concerned, the current IPL is an indicator that he is growing in the role. And perhaps, if Gill is the captain, Gautam Gambhir is the right man to be there during his inception days. The ride won't be a smooth one and there are no guarantees of success. But you can't hold it against Shubman for not giving his 200 percent. Indian cricket is hoping for 'Shubh' Arambh. PTI KHS PM PM PM (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
India.com
25-05-2025
- Sport
- India.com
Not Gambhir, Sachin, Sehwag, this cricketing legend suggested Shubman Gill for Team India captaincy, his name is...
In this collection of pictures we shall know on whom suggestion did Shubman Gill get Team India captaincy. Let's dive in. Shubman Gill has been made the new Test captain of Team India. He will be the 37th captain to captain India's Test team. He is going to take charge of the team from the England tour. Big names like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah were also included in the race for captaincy. BCCI chose Shubman Gill for this post after a lot of deliberation. It was being claimed that Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir was behind this decision. It was he who convinced the board. But now it has been revealed that Gill was given the captaincy of the Test team not on the instructions of Gambhir but on the instructions of Team India's former head coach Rahul Dravid. Former Team India head coach Rahul Dravid played a big role in making Shubman Gill the captain. Gill's name was finalised only after talking to him. Actually, after Rohit Sharma's retirement, Jasprit Bumrah's name was first discussed. But due to workload and the advice of the medical team, he was out of the race. A BCCI source said, "The selectors spoke to Dravid as he had seen Gill from the beginning and had also coached him in the Under-19 as well as the senior team. He said many good things about Gill's ability as a leader." Now Agarkar, Dravid and millions of Indian cricket fans will hope that Gill will live up to their faith. Shubman Gill has been under the supervision of Rahul Dravid for many years. Dravid has coached him since the age of 18. The two started together in 2017. Shubman Gill was part of India's Under-19 team coached by Dravid. Both won the title together. Then both Gill made their debut for India in 2019. At the same time, Rahul Dravid became the head coach of Team India in 2021. After this, both of them once again spent three years together as player and coach.
Mint
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Why was Shubman Gill chosen as captain of India Test team? Rahul Dravid's secret role revealed
A lot of speculations came true on Saturday as chairman of the Indian selection committee Ajit Agarkar named Shubman Gill as the next captain of the Indian Test side, while Rishabh Pant was named as his deputy. The decision came after incumbent skipper Rohit Sharma decided to bid adieu to the game, a move shortly followed by Virat Kohli. While one would assume that with the two stalwarts of Indian cricket gone, the BCCI would have made the captaincy decision based on the preferences of head coach Gautam Gambhir, they may be proved wrong. There's no denying that Gambhir must have been consulted—or at least informed—before the decision was finalised, but a new report by Hindustan Times has revealed the crucial role played by his predecessor Rahul Dravid in naming the new skipper. Reportedly, selectors were deliberating between Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as the next India Test captain, given that Bumrah was already out of the equation due to injury concerns. The selectors then turned to Dravid for the veteran cricketer's opinion on Gill's leadership qualities. Dravid, who has previously worked with Gill during his Under-19 days, reportedly raved about his captaincy skills, and this feedback is said to have played a major role in determining the 25-year-old's appointment as the new Test captain. "The selectors spoke to Dravid as he had seen Gill when he was a teenager and had also coached him at the U19 and the senior team. He had some great things to say about Gill's potential as a leader," the HT report quoted a BCCI source as saying. Speaking about the leadership qualities of Shubman Gill during a press conference on Saturday, Agarkar said, "You don't pick captains for one or two tours. You want to try and invest in something that's going to help us going forward. We were hoping that it's the right call. We've seen some progress over the course of the last year with him," he said. Notably, Gill doesn't have a great average in Test match cricket either in England or in SENA countries in general but the selectors are hoping that the additional responsibilities will help the youngster grow into the role and lead the team better in difficult circumstances like it did with Virat Kohli.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Rahul Dravid delayed another Indian cricketer's push because of Shubman Gill; selectors 'couldn't turn down his request'
Shubman Gill's rise as India's Test captain is not surprising. From a very early age, Gill was earmarked for greatness. Despite his batting struggles away from home, everyone around Gill – selectors, coaches, cricketers – have seen something in him that others haven't. Gill may have plenty of doubters at this point in time, but if there's one thing Indian cricket is about, it's looking ahead. The decision to appoint Gill as captain is not because of what he is now, but what the 25-year-old will become as both batter and leader. Gill shot to fame in 2018, when India won the Under-19 World Cup under Prithvi Shaw, where he won the Player of the Tournament award. Less than a year later, he made his India debut against New Zealand. While it took Gill another two years to make his Test debut, when he did, the youngster caught everyone's attention with a swashbuckling innings of 91 at the Gabba, where India famously defeated Australia to clinch the series 2-1 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. A lot of time has passed since. From being a promising youngster, Gill has replaced Rohit Sharma. But his skills and potential have been talked about as long as memory can recall. Gill's association with former India coach Rahul Dravid began during his Under-19 days, where they worked closely together. Before becoming head coach of the senior men's team, Dravid, as coach of the India A team, closely mentored Gill. In the same year that India won the U-19 World Cup, Dravid made a pivotal decision to fast-track Gill's career, prioritising his development while briefly delaying the rise of another promising Indian talent. Also Read: Rahul Dravid's feedback decisive factor in Shubman Gill becoming India Test captain "Anmolpreet Singh had a great season, and one of the five selectors was bent on putting him on that flight. Anmol had runs in domestic cricket and his choice would have been justified. Now Rahul (Dravid), who was the NCA head and India A coach, had a request for the selectors," a former national selector told PTI. "Rahul, everyone knows, is polite to a fault. He had just one request for the panel. He said, 'please select this boy Shubman and accommodate Anmol for another A tour'. We couldn't turn down his request and Shubman within months of U-19 World Cup triumph was in India A team." Dravid has always been a visionary. Anmolpreet is a couple of years older than Gill, and while he amassed runs consistently, Shubman Gill possessed something extraordinary – impeccable technique paired with an unflappable temperament. At the elite level, these qualities weigh as heavily as a towering run tally. Dravid, with his keen eye for talent, recognised Gill's rare potential early on and was determined not to let him linger in domestic cricket. Gill's standout performances for India A in England during a one-day tri-series backed Dravid's claim, but it was his monumental double hundred against West Indies A in a 'Test' match the following year that cemented his trajectory. From that moment, there was no turning back for the young prodigy.
