Shubman Gill remembers the first time he held a cricket bat. He was only three years old, trying to copy what he saw on television as his father watched matches late into the night. In their family’s village in Punjab, cricket was not just a pastime but something that gave his father immense joy. Gill wanted to be part of that world, and his father soon realised his little boy had a rare gift. Speaking on a podcast with Apple Music, Gill recalled how his earliest training ground was the family farm. His father would ask farm workers to bowl at him, even offering rewards if they managed to get him out. Hours turned into days, and batting became second nature. By the time he was seven, his father decided to move the family to Chandigarh, a city with better facilities and opportunities. It was a bold step, but one that changed everything. There were challenges along the way. When a disagreement with a coach saw young Gill thrown out of his academy, his father refused to let the dream fade. Instead, he created his own schedule, waking Shubman up at 3 a.m. for practice before school. Those dawn sessions lasted for years, building discipline and resilience that would define Gill’s cricketing character. Looking back today, as the youngest man to lead India in Tests and the holder of multiple captaincy records, Gill credits his father’s belief as the foundation of his journey. “He was my first coach, my first inspiration,” Gill said. “Without those sacrifices, I would never be here.” From farm fields in Punjab to lifting India to historic victories abroad, Gill’s rise is more than just a cricket story. It is a tale of a father’s unwavering dedication and a son who carried that faith onto the biggest stage.
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