Mumbai: As far as he has impressed everyone with his talent, Shubhman Gill Has left himself and his fans dismayed by a calf injury that has missed a part of the international Cricket Last year. Injury first ruled him out of the tour of England, before making sure he didn’t even go to South Africa.
This meant that the youngster could have played more than the 10 Tests he played for India. In this period, both KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal have climbed the ladder to become first-choice openers with India skipper Rohit Sharma at the top. It can be frustrating, but the 22-year-old has accepted the fact that injuries take time to heal, and hence one needs to be patient while treating them.
“It is disappointing to miss any tour, but there is nothing you can do about the injury. At this stage of my career, I will clearly have opportunities in the future. As a youngster, I love the challenge of playing and doing well for India overseas, so it was very disappointing to miss the tours of England and South Africa. You want to recover fast and make your way into the team, but if you act in a hurry, there are chances of re-injury. So, you have to be very patient at this stage, trust your trainers and physios and follow the procedure laid down by them regularly.” Gill said in his first interaction with the media for his new IPL Team Gujarat Titans – for whom he will play IPL-2022 Starting from 26th March.
One of the specialties about Gill’s charming batting style is his ability to pull the ball well. The youngster revealed that he had recently spoken to his captain Rohit – who is currently the best ‘puller’ in the game, about the shot, which can be both risky and rewarding. “I have practiced playing the pull shot since childhood, because I love playing it. I recently asked Rohit bhai that when you play the pull shot, or when you hit the ball in the air, do you guess in advance, or you look at the ball and then play the shot. It was more a question about strategy. I asked him, ‘When you hit the ball in the air, what do you feel about the bowler? How do you read the mind?’ I cleared my doubts with him,” Gill said, without revealing exactly what Rohit told her.
After being inducted into Rs 8 crore princely state by Gujarat Titans, is this lad from Punjab feeling the pressure of expectations? “We keep hearing that when a player is bought at a huge price, there is pressure on him to perform. However, I never feel that kind of pressure, because when you go out to bat, you don’t feel that you have been bought or retained at such a great price, so you have to perform for them. Whatever amount I am playing for as a player, there will be pressure to perform. My aim is always to help my team win matches. Price doesn’t matter. You don’t make your effort based on the price you paid for it. If someone loves and respects cricket, that person gives his 100% on the field, irrespective of the amount paid for it,” Gill explained.
Being one of three players – captain Hardik Pandya and leggie Rashid Khan were the others – who were picked by Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL auction, does he see himself as part of the team’s leadership group? “I am excited to start afresh with a new team. As one of the three players picked by Gujarat Titans ahead of the auction, I have an added responsibility to do well for them, and I have the responsibility We have a lot of exciting players in our team. Our aim will be to make at least a place in the playoffs. I haven’t been in touch with Hardik or Ashu bhai (coach Ashish Nehra) as I have been in quarantine but as soon as we are out Will go, our plan will be ready, and I will have more clarity on my role,” he said.
This meant that the youngster could have played more than the 10 Tests he played for India. In this period, both KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal have climbed the ladder to become first-choice openers with India skipper Rohit Sharma at the top. It can be frustrating, but the 22-year-old has accepted the fact that injuries take time to heal, and hence one needs to be patient while treating them.
“It is disappointing to miss any tour, but there is nothing you can do about the injury. At this stage of my career, I will clearly have opportunities in the future. As a youngster, I love the challenge of playing and doing well for India overseas, so it was very disappointing to miss the tours of England and South Africa. You want to recover fast and make your way into the team, but if you act in a hurry, there are chances of re-injury. So, you have to be very patient at this stage, trust your trainers and physios and follow the procedure laid down by them regularly.” Gill said in his first interaction with the media for his new IPL Team Gujarat Titans – for whom he will play IPL-2022 Starting from 26th March.
One of the specialties about Gill’s charming batting style is his ability to pull the ball well. The youngster revealed that he had recently spoken to his captain Rohit – who is currently the best ‘puller’ in the game, about the shot, which can be both risky and rewarding. “I have practiced playing the pull shot since childhood, because I love playing it. I recently asked Rohit bhai that when you play the pull shot, or when you hit the ball in the air, do you guess in advance, or you look at the ball and then play the shot. It was more a question about strategy. I asked him, ‘When you hit the ball in the air, what do you feel about the bowler? How do you read the mind?’ I cleared my doubts with him,” Gill said, without revealing exactly what Rohit told her.
After being inducted into Rs 8 crore princely state by Gujarat Titans, is this lad from Punjab feeling the pressure of expectations? “We keep hearing that when a player is bought at a huge price, there is pressure on him to perform. However, I never feel that kind of pressure, because when you go out to bat, you don’t feel that you have been bought or retained at such a great price, so you have to perform for them. Whatever amount I am playing for as a player, there will be pressure to perform. My aim is always to help my team win matches. Price doesn’t matter. You don’t make your effort based on the price you paid for it. If someone loves and respects cricket, that person gives his 100% on the field, irrespective of the amount paid for it,” Gill explained.
Being one of three players – captain Hardik Pandya and leggie Rashid Khan were the others – who were picked by Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL auction, does he see himself as part of the team’s leadership group? “I am excited to start afresh with a new team. As one of the three players picked by Gujarat Titans ahead of the auction, I have an added responsibility to do well for them, and I have the responsibility We have a lot of exciting players in our team. Our aim will be to make at least a place in the playoffs. I haven’t been in touch with Hardik or Ashu bhai (coach Ashish Nehra) as I have been in quarantine but as soon as we are out Will go, our plan will be ready, and I will have more clarity on my role,” he said.