New Delhi,sep 8
The Indian Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill turned 27 on Tuesday, starting another year and another chapter of wisdom, experience and his usual classy run-making at the highest level that he and his team would need ahead of the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. From the fields of Fazilka to Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium to loud England crowds, the ‘Prince of Indian cricket’ has slowly been making his mark as the heir apparent to batting icon Virat Kohli. While some of his shots, especially his cover drive and straight drive, ooze the class and authority similar to his predecessors Virat and Sachin Tendulkar, the legacy that the right-hander is shaping is going to gift the world cricket its ‘first Shubman’. Experiencing stardom at the height of social media memes, edits and leaks, the 27-year-old is no doubt going to play a massive role in driving the next generation of Indian cricket to greater heights. As Gill turns 27, here are 27 records that prove how Shubman is coming into his own in ways much different from Sachin and Virat and how his presence is a ‘Shubh’ sign for Indian cricket: -Among players with at least 10 matches in Youth ODIs, Gill holds the record for the highest average, with an outrageous number of 104.45 across 16 matches and 15 innings. He scored 1,149 runs across his Youth ODI career, including four centuries and six fifties, with a best score of 160.-The ICC U19 World Cup 2018 winner and ‘Player of the Tournament’: Under Prithvi Shaw’s captaincy way back in 2018, Gill won the prestigious U19 title and was the ‘POTT’ as leading run-scorer for India with 372 runs in five innings, including a century and three fifties, at an average of 124.00.-At 19 years of age, Gill found some Indian Premier League (IPL) success with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), emerging as the ‘Emerging Player of the Tournament’ in the 2019 edition, having made 296 runs in 13 innings at an average of 32.88 and a strike rate of 124.36, with three centuries and a best score of 76. -Gill is the fastest Indian to reach the landmark of 1,000 (19 innings), 2,000 (38 innings) and 3,000 ODI runs (62 innings).
