ICC U-19 World Cup star –Shubman Gill, who received a warm welcome at his home –Mohali when he returned after 51 days, including World Cup 2018 campaign and Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018 for Punjab, said the coveted trophy is the biggest gift to his family and country from his side.

Shubman told Chandigarh Newsline, “It has been close to two months since I met my family. The U-19 World Cup was like a dream for all of us and we are glad that we converted the dream into a reality. To win the player of the tournament award means a lot to me and that trophy is my biggest gift to my family and country. We all aspire to play in Indian colors and I am happy that my parents saw the India U-19 team win the title.”

Commenting on playing Vijay Hazare tournament for Punjab along with Veteran Indian players Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, Gill said, “Playing for the Punjab team along with seniors like Yuvi Paji and Harbhajan Paji apart from other team-mates has been a learning experience for me and the century against a team like Karnataka always helps your confidence. Punjab coach Ajay Ratra has also been spending time with us and sharing his inputs. My next target is now IPL and playing for a team like Kolkata Knight Riders will also help my game.”

The 18-year-old right-hander played a key role in Indian triumph in the World Cup, smashing 372 runs including a century against arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-finals.

Now, Shubman, who was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping Rs 1.8 crore, is looking forward to making some serious contribution in his very first IPL season.