India U-19 batsman – Shubman Gill, who was roped in by KKR at the IPL auction, grabbed attention by playing the match-winning knock of an unbeaten 94-ball102 in Christchurch to help India to beat Pakistan in the semi-finals to reach the final of the ICC Cricket U19 World Cup 2018. Now, the Men in Blue is all set to face Australia in the title clash on 3 February.
At the moment, Shubman Gill is all around the social media for not only his World Cup display but also his Indian Premier League (IPL) contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping Rs 1.8 crore.
It was celebration time for the Gill family, who live in The May Fair housing society in Sector 70, Mohali, where OB vans, shutterbugs, relatives, and friends gathered to congratulate Shubhman's success.
The right-hander’s his father Lakhwinder Gill told Hindustan Times in Mohali, “This is very (big) news to us. I started receiving calls from people around 6 o’ clock in the morning enquiring about our address. Shubman has done India and us proud with his match-winning knock. I still remember how much flak I got when I left my village and my aging parents for his cricket. Today, people from the village are feeling proud. We are thankful to god.”
He further credited Indian legend and head coach Rahul Dravid for India U19 team‘s success. Sr. Gill also said that the 18-year-old was just thinking about the game while the IPL auction. He added, “Coach Rahul Dravid has played a big role in shaping up this U-19 set of players. Shubman has looked up to him all this while. He was not much keen on knowing what happened in the IPL auction, whether he was sold or not. In fact, he was thinking about the semis tie against Pakistan.”
Sr. Gill signed off by saying, “He is not much expressive on the field. But I guess, because the opposition was Pakistan, he was pumped up and exulted in joy after reaching the three figures. A bit of aggression was seen from him. He has told me that he will get the World Cup back home. And when that happens, we will be prepared in a better way to host everyone.”
On Tuesday, Shubman became the first batsman to score a century in the ongoing World Cup, as well as India’s most successful batsman in the mega-event with 341 runs under his belt in four innings, at a staggering average of 170.50.
