U19 star Shubman Gill reveals his ‘lucky charm’

The India U-19 team has been in sublime form of late, as they managed to qualify for the finals of the junior World Cup without losing a single game on the road. The three-time champions will take on Australia U-19 in the final, who has won as many titles as India. It promises to be a high octane summit clash as the teams aim to get one better than their opponents and etch history in the process.

With a record fourth championship at stake, both India skipper Prithvi Shaw and vice-captain Shubman Gill will be keen to not let this opportunity go. Gill has been the most successful Indian batsman this tournament and will aim to keep the momentum, going into the finals. Born just before the turn of the millennium, the 19-year-old Gill is one of the brightest prospects of Indian cricket and his performance serves as a testament to that.

In the semifinal fixture too, Shubman played a key role by scoring a clinical century against Pakistan. His unbeaten knock of 102 paved the way for India’s victory. Interestingly, what turned eyes was when Shubman was spotted donning a red handkerchief on his waist. He later revealed that the red handkerchief is his “lucky charm”.

Speaking after the semi-final win on Tuesday, he revealed, “I’ve had it from the beginning. I used to have a white one. But then in one game, a U-16 match, I changed it to red and scored runs, I scored a century. After that, I have had it for three-four years.”

Veteran Australian skipper also used to carry a red cloth

Legendary Australian skipper Steve Waugh kept also a red rag in his pocket which he revealed was given by his grandmother. The practice began in 1993 when he used it to wipe away sweat while batting against England in the fourth Ashes Test at Leeds.

He went on to hit 157 not out in that innings, and subsequently ensured it remained a fixture of his cricketing get-up for his final 11 years as an Australian cricketer.