Meet U-19 batsman Shubnam Gill who plays 500 balls a day and wants to emulate Virat Kohli
There are many youngsters who want to walk on the foot marks of the Indian cricket players including Virat Kohli and all time favourite Sachin Tendulkar but this time the story is altogether different.
Shubnam Gill (17), represents U-19 Indian cricket team and has been mentored by the former batsman Rahul Dravid.
Shubnam has displayed his brilliance in the recent tour of England.
The numbers by Shubnam are simply phenomenal as he scored 278 runs in just four innings at an average of 93 and at a strike-rate of over 100 in England.
In addition to it, Shubnam was the only player who scored a century in the recently-concluded series.
“In the first match, I got out after getting set (scored 27). I played a really bad shot and got out. That night, I felt like I was in a good nick and said to myself that I should stay until the end. I kept myself motivated whenever I go to bat and kept scoring runs,” he said during an interview with Sportskeeda.
He said that he is molding himself around Virat Kohli and would look to follow the footsteps of Indian skipper.
“Obviously, my all-time favourite is Sachin Tendulkar. When I started watching cricket, he was a legend, he is still a legend and will remain one forever. But, now my favourite is Virat Kohli. I like his style, the way he carries himself and how he handles pressure. I would like to try and emulate him. It will be very difficult,” Shubnam added.
For now the young player is looking to play domestic first-class cricket championship Ranji Trophy and after that he will try his hand for the World Cup.
“Right now, my short-term goal is to do well in the Ranji Trophy if I get a chance to play. The long-term goal will be the World Cup.” When asked whether it is the youth World Cup or the men’s World Cup, he quipped, “First the under-19 World Cup and then, the men’s World Cup."
As the fitness level of Kohli has improved drastically in the recent years that had led him to perform consistently good on the field.
Similarly, Shubnam's hard training session could be a reason to take him to a great height in his future.
“I used to train 4-5 hours everyday without taking a break. My father doesn’t like me taking off days. The only days I won’t be practicing are the days in which I have matches. I wake up at 6 AM in the morning, go to the gym, have my breakfast, practice from 9 AM-12 noon, go for lunch before ending the day a training session in the evening. We have a bowling machine in our nets and I used to bat against it every day. I play at least 500 balls per day in order to improve my game. In between these, I will have few meditation and yoga sessions to improve myself mentally," the young player said.
First published: 23 August 2017, 14:35 IST