Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar recalled how Shubman Gill impressed ex-head coach Ravi Shastri and team’s skipper Virat Kohli when he batted for the first time in the team’s net session on the ODI tour of New Zealand in 2019.

Gill had impressed one and all in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, scoring 372 runs in five innings and thus played a key role in taking the team to glory.

Bangar said after Gill’s net session, the support staff realised that the youngster is special.

Sanjay Bangar said on Doordarshan Sports, “It was his first session and he walked out to bat in the nets. Ravi Shastri was the head coach, the captain was Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni was still in the team. We were preparing for the 2019 ODI World Cup. Coach Ravi Shastri was so impressed that he wanted to put him in the playing XI. ‘Isko abhi khila do’ (Play him now). He left that kind of imprint in his first net session itself, and we realized then that this boy was special.”

“The side-arm throwers and I started to bowl at Shubman. When we pitched it up, he would play the drive. If the ball was a little outside off-stump, he cut it. If it was slightly short, he pulled it. The other nets stopped; only his net was going on, and everyone was watching in amazement — wondering what this was.”

Gill has risen through the ranks and he is now an integral part of the team across all formats. The right-hander recently scored 754 runs in five Test matches against England at an impressive average of 75.40 while leading for the first time in Test cricket.

Gill has been named as India’s vice-captain for the Asia Cup. He scored 650 runs in 15 matches while leading the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025.