Shubman Gill turns 26: Journey from young prodigy to future leader

New Delhi [India], September 8 (ANI): India's Test captain Shubman Gill turned 26 on Monday. Gill has traversed the path from being a young prodigy to a reliable leader and has carved out his place in India's batting unit.
Gill, known for his penchant for big runs made with a touch of style, began his journey with Punjab. He hoped to grab the attention of the selectors and notched a fifty in his first-class debut in 2017, and hammered 129 in the next match.
His exploits turned the right heads, and he was drafted into India's Under-19 side as the vice-captain for the 2018 World Cup. Gill was adjudged the Player of the Tournament, playing a defining contribution with a blistering hundred in the semi-final against Pakistan.
On the day of the IPL 2018 auction, Gill was still in New Zealand for the World Cup. Determined to acquire the promising talent, Kolkata Knight Riders shelled out Rs 1.8 crore, and Gill found his first franchise in the cash-rich league. He made his ODI debut in 2018, but cemented his credentials in the high-stakes Test series in Australia.
During the 2019-20 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Gill marked his debut at the iconic MCG and notched 45 and 35. He topped it up with a half-century in Sydney. With a fluent 91, Gill basked in India's memorable series win in Australia. A year later, he made his first Test hundred in Chattogram. Just a month later, he became the youngest to blaze his way to a double hundred in ODIs, unleashing a whirlwind 208 off 149 balls against New Zealand at the age of 23.
In the 2023 World Cup, Gill racked up 354 runs on home turf in India's unbeaten run to the final. With 452 runs in five Tests when England toured India, Gill was instrumental to the hosts' 4-1 series win. In the same year, he was named the Gujarat Titans' captain after Hardik Pandya's return to the Mumbai Indians.
In 2025, he played a starring role in India's Champions Trophy title-winning run. He was passed the baton of Test captaincy after Rohit Sharma's retirement and led India to a 2-2 series draw in his first assignment in England.
Since his debut, Gill has made 37 Test appearances, garnered 2,647 runs at 41.35. In 55 ODIs, the 26-year-old boasts a tally of 2,775 at an impressive average of 59.04. In 21 T20Is, Gill has managed 578 runs at 30.42. He will return to the field on Tuesday while serving as T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav's deputy in the Asia Cup. (ANI)