India’s Test captain Shubman Gill recently shared an interesting story from his early childhood, revealing how he used to mimic cricketers on television when he was just three years old. Speaking on a YouTube podcast with Apple Music, released on Thursday, September 11, the Punjab batter recalled watching matches alongside his father, Lakhwinder Singh.
Gill mentioned that his father was amazed to see him exhibit cricketing skills at such a tender age, which marked the starting point of his journey in the sport. He said:
“I then used to sit and watch, okay, what is the batsman doing, how is he hitting, and I used to try to imitate that. When he used to come back and see, oh, if I’m doing it in the right way. I was about three years old, and he was quite shocked.”
“It’s quite rare that a three-year-old can imitate seeing something on the screen that well. And that’s how it started. He’s also my coach, so that’s how he started coaching me. That’s how we… so people used to work on our farm, they used to come and throw balls at me, and I used to bat.”
“That’s How My Cricket Journey Began” — Shubman Gill On Moving To Chandigarh And His Father’s Constant Presence
Shubman Gill opened up about relocating to Chandigarh in pursuit of better cricketing opportunities. He also mentioned that his father accompanies him to most of his matches and often travels with him during overseas tours. Shubman Gill stated:
“When I turned about 7, that’s when we came from there to Chandigarh, where I am right now, because back in the village, obviously not many facilities, not many opportunities there. Chandigarh was the capital of Punjab, a very booming city, and then that is when we came there. He enrolled me into an academy, and that’s how my actual cricketing journey started.”
“Most of the matches, especially when I was young, he used to travel with me wherever I went in India, and he loved watching me, seeing what I was doing, just being with me all the time. Even when I go outside of India, he mostly travels with me. Him, one of his friends, my mom, or my sister would be there,” he added.
Shubman Gill is set to return to action on Sunday, September 14, when India face Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2025 clash in Dubai.
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