Who is known as the Prince of Cricket? 

The history of Indian cricket has witnessed many iconic players for the way they play, dominate, and get admired by fans worldwide. A person from the 1900-2010 era would have never imagined seeing Sachin Tendulkar dominating all three formats of cricket, after all, he was given the title the “God of Cricket”. Similarly, our very own Virat Kohli, considered the “King of Cricket”, would have never imagined touching the benchmarks and setting new records. But that is how some players became icons for their fans. 

There were many young talents in the Indian Team, and there will be more such talents in the coming years, but right now the person who is carrying on the legacy of our iconic players is none other than Shubman Gill, also fondly called the “Prince of Cricket”. He certainly needs no introduction, his performance speaks volumes. With his classical technique and dedication, the young right-hand batsman stole the hearts of fans all over the world. In his very short career, he has shown huge potential and is said to be the successor of players like Sachin & Virat.

He was supposed to play a big role in India’s ODI World Cup campaign 2023 but because of the injury, he missed out on some initial crucial matches. Thanks to the winning streak of the team he did not affect their run of form. Further, he did not score pivotal runs in the whole tournament and the Final. 

Still, we are going to read about Shubman Gill’s inspiring journey, exploring his record across all the formats, his role in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and his promising future in the Indian National Cricket Team. 

Why is Shubman Gill called the Prince of Cricket?

What if we say that before Shubman Gill, there was another person who was recognized as the “Prince of Cricket”? Interesting right? Well, previously, the former India cricketer Salim Durani was hailed as the “Prince of Cricket” in India. The Afghan-born cricketer was often called Shehzada (Prince) Salim of cricket.

Shubman Gill became a part of the Indian Team at a very young age, and right from the beginning, he showed immense potential in all three formats through his batting technique, which is by the way somewhere similar to how Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli had a beautiful style. In his short tenure with both the Indian Cricket Team and the IPL, he has delivered outstanding performances, demonstrating maturity and talent in his batting skills.

He has been conferred with this tag due to his remarkable achievements and performance across all three formats. Here are some of his big achievements. 

• Shubman Gill gained popularity in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup of 2018 when he won that World Cup, just like Virat Kohli did in 2008. 
• Gill finished as the second-highest scorer of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2018 and was also awarded the “Player of the Series” award. 
• He scored 372 runs in 6 matches with an impressive strike rate of 112.38, including one hundred and three fifties to his name. 
• In January 2019, he was called up by the Indian Team for a limited-over series against New Zealand.
• In August 2019, he smashed a double hundred in ODIs thus becoming the youngest Indian player to score a double century.
• Gill made his test debut in 2020, followed by a T20I debut in January 2023. 
• He smashed his maiden T20I hundred on 1 February 2023 against New Zealand
• He is the fifth Indian batsman to score a hundred in all three formats of international cricket. 

The debut of Shubman Gill in all formats

Shubman Gill’s Early Life, Family, and Love for Cricket

Shubman Gill was born in a Sikh family in Punjab on 8 September 1999, as of now, he is 25 years old. His father, Lakhwinder Singh, who is a farmer, dreamt of his son playing for the Indian National Cricket Team. Seeing the potential and talent in their son, the family decided to move to Mohali to support his growth in the sport so that he could be trained better. 

His talent knew no bounds because, at 14 years of age, he smashed a double ton in his debut match for the Punjab U-16 team. He also has some compelling records in both First Class and List A matches. Despite this, he gained real recognition after getting selected as the Vice-Captain of India’s Under-19 team for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup of 2018, held in India. 

Gill, the “Prince of Cricket” performed exceptionally well in the tournament by scoring 372 runs in total. Having played a crucial role at number three and receiving praise from cricket legends like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, and Sourav Ganguly, he launched himself on the global stage. 

Read More: Top 10 Most Hundreds in ODI Matches 2024

Shubman Gill’s International Career

ODI Career

In January 2019, Gill made his ODI debut by getting selected for the limited-over series against New Zealand. It was the 4th ODI at Seddon Park, Hamilton on 31 January 2019, when Gill was included in an ODI match for the first time. Gill smashed his first ODI century on 22 August 2022 against Zimbabwe at Harare. On 18 January 2023, he scored an ODI double-century in the home series against New Zealand, which is also his highest score. He became the fifth Indian batsman to do so, becoming the youngest batsman in men’s international cricket history to have an ODI double-century under his name

He was flawless at the beginning of 2023 but suffered a drop in form at the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup in India. Despite facing criticism for his out-of-form batting performances as an opener, he managed to secure his place in the team and participated in every match, including the final. He was dismissed quite early in the India vs Australia World Cup final match, which India tragically lost. Shubman Gill has accumulated 354 runs in total, achieving a top score of 92 in the World Cup of 2023, and currently holds the top position in the ICC ODI rankings. Furthermore, he could not make it to the T20 World Cup campaign in 2024. 

ODI Stats:

T20I Career

Gill made his T20I debut on 3 January 2023 against Sri Lanka. On 1 February 2023, he smashed his maiden T20I century in a match against the Kiwis, i.e., New Zealand. This century made him the fifth Indian batter to score a century in all formats of the game. He also holds the Indian T20I record for the highest score with 126 runs off 63 deliveries.

T20I stats:

Test Career

After some outstanding performances in domestic cricket and for India A, Gill was the top contender for opening batsman in the tests when the team moved past Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, and Mayank Agarwal as test openers. He was selected for Indian tests in the 2019 series against South Africa but only played a part from the bench. 

Moreover, Gill was included in the Indian squad for the test series against Australia during the Indian tour of Australia 2020-2021. Significantly, the “Prince of Cricket” made his test debut on 26 December 2020, against Australia in the second test, helping India with a comeback win after a humiliating defeat in the first test. 

The series was tied in a 1-1 scenario and the Indian Team was facing injuries crisis. This called for even net bowlers and backups to play the rest two matches. Therefore, Shubman lived up to the expectations by scoring a crucial 50 runs in the third test and 91 runs in the fourth test, thus sealing a historic series victory. Thereafter, Gill scored his first test century on 16 December 2022 against Bangladesh having scored 110 runs in the match. 

Test Stats:

Shubman Gill’s IPL Career

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bet on the “Prince of Cricket” in 2018 after his remarkable performance in the India U-19 team. In his debut IPL season, Gill scored 202 runs. For his consistent performance in 2019, scoring 296 runs, he was felicitated with the Emerging Player award. His performance in IPL was at its peak in 2020 when he scored the highest 440 runs for KKR, thus becoming the highest-scorer for the team. Through his continued brilliant performance, he scored 478 runs in 2021, leading KKR to the finals. 

His chapter with KKR came to an end in 2022, when there was a mega auction for IPL, along with the introduction of two new teams, i,e., Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans. He was traded to the Gujarat franchise, and in the first season itself, he played a crucial role in leading GT to win their maiden IPL trophy, scoring 483 runs. 

In the following season, Gill took the league to another level by scoring 890 runs, the second-highest ever in a single IPL season. He scored back-to-back centuries, including 129 runs in the playoffs. Despite full efforts, the Titans fell short in the IPL final of 2023 against MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK). 

IPL Stats:

Shubman Gill: The new captain of GT(Gujarat Titans)

Hardik Pandya successfully guided the Gujarat Titans to two back-to-back IPL Finals and secured a championship in their inaugural season in the league. However, when Mumbai Indians, his original IPL team, offered to make him their captain and bring him back to the Wankhede Stadium, he couldn’t refuse.

Hardik departed from Gujarat, leaving the Titans without a leader. Since entering the scene in 2018, Gill, the “Prince of Cricket”, has displayed his growth as a premier batsman and a pivotal presence in the team. Shortly after Hardik left, Gill was quickly named the new captain of Gujarat Titans. With the support of experienced players such as Kane Williamson and guidance from Gujarat Titans Coach Ashish Nehra, he will lay a strong foundation to lead his team to victory.

FAQs:  

1. What is Shubman Gill’s height (in feet)? 

Ans. Shubman Gill is 6 feet & 1 inch tall, which is 1.85 meters.

2. What is the relationship between Shubman Gill and Sara Tendulkar?

Ans. Although there is no official confirmation, Sara and Shubman have been spotted together many times. It is speculated that both have been dating each other for a long time.

3. Does Gill have a sister?

Ans. Yes, Shubman Gill has a twin sister named Shahneel Gill. She is a social media influencer.

4. What is Shubman Gill’s estimated Net Worth?

Ans. Shubman Gill’s estimated Net worth is supposed to be around $5 million – $10 million (Rs 4-080 crore). However, the exact figure is not disclosed.