In the last one month, Shubman Gill has once again proved why he is touted as the next batting superstar of Indian cricket.
With the scores of 64, 43 and 98*, Gill earned the Player-of-the-Series award in India’s 3-0 ODI series win over West Indies last month and the right-hander continued his brilliance in the just-concluded 50-over series against Zimbabwe.
In the three ODIs versus Zimbabwe in Harare, the 22-year-old registered scores of 82*, 33 and 130. As a result, he claimed another Player-of-the-Series honour.
Amidst his stunning display, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh recalled how the Punjab selectors once told him about Gill when he was just a 17-year-old boy.
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"They told me: 'He's a very good talent. We'll play him in the Ranji Trophy later this year. He'll do well' I said: 'No, if he's a good talent, if he's doing well now, then why should we see him in the future? Let's pick him now. 'Are you sure' they asked me. '100%,' I replied instantly," Harbhajan told TOI in an exclusive chat.
Harbhajan Singh further shared his first impression of Shubman Gill, who also won the Player-of-the-Tournament award in India’s triumphant U-19 World Cup campaign in 2018.
"When he first played for Punjab, I figured out that he has time to play fast bowling. He plays the short ball really well, which means you're good enough to play at the international level. He pulls the ball towards mid-on & mid-wicket, rather than to square leg, which shows how much time he has," he stated.
"He's a sorted batsman, who has a sound technique, and very good shot selection. In terms of quality of batsmanship, I would bracket him with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in the current Indian team. You love to watch them bat."
Having shared the dressing room with Shubman Gill at Punjab and KKR, Harbhajan knows a thing or two about the youngster.
"The good thing about him is that he's hungry for success. Few batsmen these days feel bad when they're not scoring runs. He's one of those characters. He feels he is letting the team down when he's in poor form. It's a quality one must have. It's a quality that Tendulkar too had," he said.
According to Harbhajan Singh, Gill can also lead the Indian team in the future.
"For me, he's a future India captain. He's got the game, and he'll learn about the captaincy. So, why not?"
(With TOI inputs)
