Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill is an Indian international cricketer who represents the Indian cricket team across all three formats. He is the captain of the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League and plays for Punjab in domestic cricket.

He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen in contemporary world cricket. Gill served as the vice – captain of the Indian Under – 19 cricket team in the 2018 Under – 19 Cricket World Cup and won Player of the Tournament award. A right – handed opening batsman, Gill holds the record for youngest cricketer to score a double century in One Day International cricket and the highest T20I score by an individual for the Indian team. He also holds the record for the fastest player to score 2000 runs in ODIs (38 innings).

Early life

Gill was born into a Punjabi Sikh family. His father, Lakhwinder Singh, is an agriculturist who aspired to become a cricketer. He has a twin sister named Shahneel Gill.

Gill showed early promise in cricket, starting to pick up a bat at the age of three. Seeing his interest in the game, Lakhwinder decided to train him, and he used to bowl 500 to 700 balls every day to him.

In 2007, he moved the family to Mohali, near the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, so that Gill could train at a higher level.

When Gill was twelve years old, former Indian bowler Karsan Ghavri noticed his impressive performance and asked his father to send him to the Under – 19 all – India pace bowlers’ camp. Gill faced U – 19 bowlers in the nets, and Ghavri, seeing Gill play, asked PCA to put him into Punjab’s U – 14 team.

During an Inter – District Under – 16 match against Amritsar, Gill, playing for Mohali, scored 351 runs and shared a record opening stand of 587 runs with Nirmal Singh. At the age of 14, he scored a double – century on his Under – 16 debut for Punjab in the Vijay Merchant Trophy.

Domestic Career:

• List – A debut: against Vidarbha for Punjab in the 2016 – 17 Vijay Hazare Trophy on 25 February 2017
• In his second match against Assam, he scored his maiden List A century, scoring 121 runs off 129 balls.
• First – class debut: for Punjab against Bengal in the 2017 – 18 Ranji Trophy, on 17 November 2017, with a half – century in the game
• Later in the same month, in his second first – class match, he scored his maiden century while batting for Punjab against Services. He scored 129 runs off 142 balls.
• In the final round – robin match against India A, he scored an unbeaten century, helping send India C through to the final. In December 2018, during the match against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy, Gill scored his maiden double century in first-class cricket, scoring 268 runs.
• In the match against Bengal, Gill surpassed 1,000 runs in first – class cricket in his fifteenth innings. He was the leading run – scorer for Punjab in the 2018 – 19 Ranji Trophy, with 728 runs in five matches.
• In August 2019, Gill was named as the captain of the India Blue team for the 2019 – 20 Duleep Trophy. In October 2019, he was selected as the captain of the India C team for the 2019 – 20 Deodhar Trophy. In November 2019, he became the youngest cricketer to lead a side in the tournament. He was 20 years and 57 days old, beating Virat Kohli’s record, who was 21 years 124 days old during the 2009 – 10 tournament.

Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 Franchise Career:

• In January 2018, he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 1.8 crore (US $220k) in the 2018 IPL auction.
• Twenty20 debut: for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 Indian Premier League on 14 April 2018
• In 2020, Gill would score 440 runs, making him the highest scoring player for KKR that season. The team would however finish fifth once again.
• During the 2021 edition of the IPL, Gill scored 478, being KKR’s highest scorer once again. KKR would reach the final where Gill would score a half – century.
• Ahead of the 2022 IPL auction, Gill was drafted by the newly formed Gujarat Titans franchise for INR 8 crore (equivalent to US $1.0 million in 2023). Gill would score 483 runs in 2022, and the Titans would defeat Rajasthan Royals to win the 2022 IPL in their inaugural year.
• In the 2023 season, Gill would score 890 runs, becoming the second highest run scorer ever in a single IPL season and winning the orange cap. Gill became the fourth man to score back to back centuries, 101 against the SRH and 104* against RCB. In Qualifier 2 versus MI, Gill achieved the season’s highest individual score of 129 off 60 balls and the record of highest ever score in an IPL playoffs match and second most centuries in an IPL season at 3.

International Career:

• In December 2016, Gill was part of the Indian U – 19 team for the 2016 ACC Under – 19 Asia Cup, where he emerged as the second – highest run – scorer of the tournament, behind teammate Himanshu Rana.
• In December 2017, he was named vice captain of India’s squad for the 2018 Under – 19 Cricket World Cup. In the semifinal against Pakistan U – 19, Gill scored 102* runs off 94 balls, earning him the title of Player of the Match.
• One Day International (ODI) debut: for India, playing in the fourth ODI match of the series against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton
• In August 2019, Gill set a record as the youngest Indian batsman to score a double century in a first – class match.
• At the age of 19 years and 334 days, he scored 204 runs for India A against West Indies A at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.
• In December 2019, Gill was named as the captain of India A squad for their tour of New Zealand.
• Test debut: for India on 26 December 2020 in the 2020 Border – Gavaskar Trophy, contributing to India’s comeback win in the second match of the series
• In the fourth Test at the Gabba, he scored 91 runs off 146 balls, playing a crucial role in India’s series win. In November 2021, during New Zealand’s tour of India, Gill scored 144 runs in the 2 – match Test series and was the fourth – highest run – scorer of the series. India won the series 1-0.
• On 22 August 2022, during the third match of the ODI series against Zimbabwe, Gill scored his first ODI century for the Indian national team. He emerged as the series’ top run-scorer and was awarded the Player of the Series award.
• In December 2022, during the first Test match of the series against Bangladesh, he scored his first Test century, tallying 110 runs.
• Twenty20 International (T20I) debut: on 3 January 2023, against Sri Lanka
  He scored seven runs from five balls in that match.
• On 18 January 2023, in the first match of the series against New Zealand, Gill scored a double century, tallying a total of 208 runs.
• He became the fifth Indian batsman to hit a double century in ODIs, and he is currently the youngest batsman to score a double century in ODIs in men’s international cricket. In the third match, Gill scored his maiden T20I century, scoring an unbeaten 126 off 63 balls, and became the 5th Indian batsman to score a century in all formats of international cricket. He also holds the record for the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in men’s T20Is.
• On 9 March 2023, Gill scored his second Test century in the fourth match of the 2023 Border – Gavaskar Trophy. In the match against Bangladesh, he scored his fifth ODI hundred, reaching 121 runs. In the match against New Zealand, Gill became the fastest batsman to reach 2000 runs in ODIs, achieving this milestone in 38 innings and surpassing the previous record of 40 innings held by South African batsman Hashim Amla.

Major Achievements:

• Gill was appointed as the captain of Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024 after Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians.
• He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen in contemporary world cricket.
• Gill served as the vice – captain of the Indian Under – 19 cricket team in the 2018 Under – 19 Cricket World Cup and won Player of the Tournament award.
• A right – handed opening batsman, Gill holds the record for youngest cricketer to score a double century in One Day International cricket and the highest T20I score by an individual for the Indian team.
• He also holds the record for the fastest player to score 2000 runs in ODIs (38 innings).
• In 2022, Gill was part of the IPL championship winning Gujarat Titans team. Gill would go on to win the 2023 IPL Orange Cap, scoring 890 runs, the second highest total in IPL history, including three centuries.
• Gill scored 129 in the IPL Qualifies 2, the highest individual score in IPL Playoffs history.
• In the match against Bengal, Gill surpassed 1,000 runs in first – class cricket in his fifteenth innings.
• He was the leading run – scorer for Punjab in the 2018 – 19 Ranji Trophy, with 728 runs in five matches.
• In August 2019, Gill was named as the captain of the India Blue team for the 2019 – 20 Duleep Trophy.
• In October 2019, he was selected as the captain of the India C team for the 2019 – 20 Deodhar Trophy.
• In November 2019, he became the youngest cricketer to lead a side in the tournament.
• He was 20 years and 57 days old, beating Virat Kohli’s record, who was 21 years 124 days old during the 2009 – 10 tournament.
• In August 2019, Gill set a record as the youngest Indian batsman to score a double century in a first – class match.
• At the age of 19 years and 334 days, he scored 204 runs for India A against West Indies A at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.
• In December 2019, Gill was named as the captain of India A squad for their tour of New Zealand.
• He became the fifth Indian batsman to hit a double century in ODIs, and he is currently the youngest batsman to score a double century in ODIs in men’s international cricket.
• In the third match, Gill scored his maiden T20I century, scoring an unbeaten 126 off 63 balls, and became the 5th Indian batsman to score a century in all formats of international cricket.
• He also holds the record for the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in men’s T20Is.
• In the match against New Zealand, Gill became the fastest batsman to reach 2000 runs in ODIs, achieving this milestone in 38 innings and surpassing the previous record of 40 innings held by South African batsman Hashim Amla.
• In 2020, Gill would score 440 runs, making him the highest scoring player for KKR that season.
• During the 2021 edition of the IPL, Gill scored 478, being KKR’s highest scorer once again.
• In the 2023 season, Gill would score 890 runs, becoming the second highest run scorer ever in a single IPL season and winning the orange cap.
• Gill became the fourth man to score back to back centuries, 101 against the SRH and 104* against RCB.
• In Qualifier 2 versus MI, Gill achieved the season’s highest individual score of 129 off 60 balls and the record of highest ever score in an IPL playoffs match and second most centuries in an IPL season at 3.