Yuvi paaji gave me a lot of confidence when I was injured: Shubman Gill
Shubman also recounted how his father would bowl to him when he was young thereby helping him to improve his bat swing.
After India’s historic triumph in the recently concluded Youth World Cup, Punjab batsman Shubman Gill has become a household name. His stellar performance in the marquee tournament was not unnoticed as he was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 Auction.
His unbeaten century in the big win over Pakistan in the semi-final of the tournament proved his mettle as a big-match player. He was subsequently declared the ‘Player of the Tournament’ as he was the second highest run-getter in the U19 World Cup 2018.
Yuvraj Singh’s role
Gill on Monday spoke about Yuvraj Singh’s role in his sparkling performance in the tournament as the southpaw had helped him with his technique in the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore.
“Yuvi Paaji gave a lot of guidance when I was injured. He was at the NCA and told me things about being on and off the field and gave me some tips. Then, when I had started batting, he batted along with me, which helped me a lot,” he told reporters on Monday.
Except for the finals against Australia, when he scored 31, Gill’s scores read 63, 90*, 86 and 102*. The century against the arch-rivals Pakistan in the semifinals scripted a 203-run monumental victory for the Indian colts.
He said that: “There was pressure for the game against Pakistan. Our openers gave us a good start, and it was going well in the middle. Rahul sir advised me to bat till the end and the partnership with Anukul (Roy) was good.”
Shubman also recounted how his father would bowl to him when he was young thereby helping him to improve his bat swing. He is also a big admirer of Virat Kohli and especially his cover drive. “I have seen Virat hitting that cover drive and practiced a lot for that shot.”
The young batsman also has the experience of playing first-class cricket for his state Punjab. Regarding his IPL contract, the right-hander said that they were too tired after playing Bangladesh and didn’t follow the auction.
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