Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli have a long history together. Gill made his India debut under Kohli in an ODI against New Zealand in 2019, and it was Virat who interviewed Shubman after the 23-year-old smashed a stunning 208 last month in Hyderabad.
Shubman Gill is set to carry the torch from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli as the archetypal star of Indian batting when the time comes. The youthful opener, who has had a blistering start to 2023, added another feather to his crown as he hammered his maiden T20I century against New Zealand in the series final, helping India claim the series 2-1 with a 168-run triumph in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Gill was undefeated on 126 off 63 balls, breaking Virat Kohli’s 122 against Afghanistan in the UAE six months ago. The Gill-Kohli relationship, in reality, is not new. Gill made his India debut under Kohli in an ODI against New Zealand in 2019, and it was Virat who interviewed Shubman after the 23-year-old smashed a stunning 208 last month in Hyderabad.
Kohli and Gill’s friendship isn’t anything new. Former India fielding coach R Sridhar recounted an event that exemplified Kohli’s drive to be the greatest in all he did. During a fielding session, Kohli was in beast mode, exuding a contagious intensity that Gill couldn’t get enough of.
It had only been a month since the Gabba Test in Brisbane, when Gill had produced a magnificent inning of 91 to help India retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Gill was anticipated to take the next big step in Indian cricket when the home series began, but he was unable to do so. Gill’s method was exposed by James Anderson after he managed only 119 runs from four Tests, with a top score of 50, but for the Ahmedabad Test, he didn’t need to seek outside Kohli for inspiration, even though it wasn’t linked to batting.
“Virat smiled at him cheekily and said, ‘I am giving you 10 years in age, young man. The least you can do is take a few catches yourself.’” – Sridhar wrote in his book ‘Coaching Beyond’