Shastri was left stunned. He said 'ek taiyaar...': Shubman Gill's net session sparked unheard reaction from India legend
Shubman made his debut for India in the tour of New Zealand in 2019
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar recently revealed how Shubman Gill had impressed ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri in the team's traditional "screen test" to earn his place in the side. Gill, who made his debut for India in the tour of New Zealand in 2019, came a long way through the six years of his career as the 25-year-old was elevated to the role of vice-captaincy last month for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Gill did not have a memorable debut in New Zealand, scoring 9 and 7 in the two ODIs he played, but Bangar, speaking to Star Sports, still distinctly remembered his first-ever India net session. The former India batter revealed that every player aiming for a spot in the national side has to go through a traditional screen test where batters, in particular, have to face throwdowns. Gill, then an 18-year-old, impressed Shastri during the training session, leaving the India legend in absolute awe.
"The first glimpse of Shubman Gill we had during his first net session for India, there is a tradition in India that during the nets session, if you want that approval, you will have to do well against throwdown specialists, who bowl really fast. He was so impressive in that net session which was his screen test that Ravi Shastri was left stunned and said 'ek taiyaar player mil gaya humein (We’ve got someone who’s ready for international cricket)'. Such was his first impact,” said Bangar.
Gill gears up for Champions Trophy
There were a lot of concerns around Gill's form when BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar named him as the new India vice-captain in ODIs, especially after a forgettable tour of Australia, where he scored just 93 runs in four Tests. However, the right-hander vindicated the call on Thursday when he smashed a match-winning knock of 87 off 96 against England in the opening ODI match of the three-game series on Thursday in Nagpur.
Speaking to the media in January, Agarkar explained that dressing room feedback and ‘leadership qualities’ led to the committee picking Gill over all-rounder Hardik Pandya as Rohit's new deputy.
“Shubman was vice-captain in Sri Lanka anyway, I wouldn’t read too much into it. A lot of the feedback comes from the dressing room. You also want to keep your options open. One of the challenges is that not many are leading their state teams nowadays… but you are always on the lookout for anyone who has got some leadership qualities," he said.
