19-year-old Shubman Gill has made some correct noises to get noticed by the right people. Be it his Man of the tournament performances in the U19 World Cup in 2018, or his brilliant showing in the 2018 IPL; Gill has done enough in every opportunity to earn a call-up to the Indian senior team.

New Zealand is the place where he was noticed first for his Youth World Cup exploits and now Gill is back in the same place with the Indian team for the ongoing five-match ODI series, which the visitors lead 1-0 with an 8-wicket win in first ODI. He will also be a part of the 3-match T20I series that follows.

Gill also had luck shining on him, as he bagged a lucrative IPL contract with 2-time IPl winners Kolkata Knight Riders and was the highest run-getter for Punjab in Ranji Trophy 2018-19, with 728 runs in 5 matches (9 innings) at an average of 104.00.

“I was in my bedroom and about to sleep when all of a sudden my phone rang. One of my friends called me and told me about my selection. I was so happy. I didn’t expect the call-up. I immediately told my father. He was extremely happy and hugged me,” Shubman told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview.

Gill played two List A and one FC match in New Zealand for India A last year and he thinks the experience will help him if and when he gets a chance to play.

“I have played a number of games in New Zealand and know the conditions. I am sure I will quickly adjust as per the conditions. I have practiced hard and worked a lot on my fitness. I want to thank my coach, father, brother and (Rahul) Dravid sir for making this possible,” the youngster said.

“The credit for this (India call-up) goes to Rahul sir. He was always there for me. I learnt a lot from him. Not just me, he observes every single player in the team during net practice and then gives tips” Shubman said.

However, Gill said the biggest credit went to his father Lakhwinder Singh for his innovative practice techniques, which helped the youngster play fast bowling from a young age.

“My father is my idol. He has worked really hard to make me a good batsman. He used to make me stand on one side of a 'Manji' (a woven Indian bed also called chaarpai, khaat or khatia) and bowl to me with a tennis ball from the other end. The ball used to skid off the surface and come at me at high speed. I used to play around 600 such deliveries in a day” Shubman said.

Gill also called former India captain Sachin Tendulkar and current captain Virat Kohli his batting idols.

“I admire Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. I just stay, analyze the situation and play accordingly. I want to be a match-winner for my team,” Shubman told TimesofIndia.com.

(TOI inputs)