Shubman Gill unveils how Yuvraj Singh’s guidance helped him become a better cricketer

Shubman Gill unveils how Yuvraj Singh’s guidance helped him: The rookie batsman was vocal about the former Indian all-rounder.

Having made his ODI debut during the tour of New Zealand earlier this year, batsman Shubman Gill has received a maiden call-up to the Indian Test team now. Gill will be part of the team during the three-match series against South Africa scheduled to begin from October 2.

“I was very excited, but I was nervous too. But as I played the first ball, the nerves calmed down. When the team was announced, I was very happy to know I was playing finally,” Gill was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo regarding his ODI debut in Hamilton.

Gill, who plays for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, credited his father for instilling calmness in him. The 20-year old batsman believes playing days cricket from a younger age helping him in improving his conversion rate.

“I’m calm, but it’s also something I’ve learnt from my father – he had the patience and calmness to keep throwing 200-300 balls at the nets when I was a kid. From my early days, Under-14 and Under-16 days, I’ve played a lot of days [first-class] cricket, so temperamentally I adjusted to it very early. From there on, my mindset has been such that if I am set and batting on 100, I have to convert it into a big one, and shouldn’t play any loose shots,” Gill said.

Shubman Gill unveils how Yuvraj Singh’s guidance helped him become a better cricketer

Gill, who plays for Punjab in domestic cricket, further eulogized about the presence of senior Punjab and Indian cricketers in Yuvraj Singh and Gurkeerat Singh Mann. “Then when I graduated to the Punjab senior team, I was glad to be able to spend some time with Yuvraj Singh and Gurkeerat Singh [Mann]. They have guided me along the way too,” Gill said.

Talking specifically about Yuvraj, Gill talked about how his suggestions have helped him in focusing on just cricket and not about the ramifications which come along with it. “He [Yuvraj Singh] has been through so many challenges in his career, and his support and chats with me have been massively helpful.

“He’s spoken to me about keeping my focus on cricket and let other aspects of professional life [endorsements, player management] aside. Guidance is very important in these aspects. Yuvraj didn’t want me to sign with any player management company at the start of my career. He said ‘just go and play, forget about these things. I didn’t sign anyone,” Gill added.