3 times Shubman Gill was rumored to be dating a popular star

Since being promoted as the ODI opener after Shikhar Dhawan’s dismal run, Shubman Gill has established himself as the first-choice opener in the limited overs format along with skipper Rohit Sharma.

Having made his international debut in 2019 in New Zealand, Gill made a name for himself in the 2020-21 tour Down Under where he played a pivotal role in India’s incredible series win.

He lost his place in the national team after a string of low scores and had to wait for his opportunity in the ODI format, especially with Dhawan breathing down his neck. However, in the last few months, Gill has brushed aside any potential threat at the top of the order and has made the opening slot his own.

He also recently became the fifth Indian batter to score a century in all three formats of the game.

Despite being a cynosure of the national team, Gill has always found himself in the thick of things when it comes to his relationships with famous female stars. He has never really opened up on his relationship status and has neither confirmed nor denied his links with popular celebrities.

With that in mind, here's a look at three instances when the star opener was rumored to be dating a famous star:

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#1 The Sara Tendulkar saga

It was back in early 2021 when rumors that Shubman Gill and Sara Tendulkar were dating surfaced on social media. It all started with the duo liking each other’s pictures on Instagram and sharing similar captions on their social media posts.

Several media outlets reported that there was something cooking between the two, but the cricketer has always remained tight-lipped about his personal equation with Sara Tendulkar. In a Q&A session, Gill revealed that he was single and had no intention of being in a relationship.

The rumors seemed to have fizzled out until Gill posted a solo picture on Valentine's Day (14th February), and netizens found a Sara Tendulkar connection in the picture.

Digging out an old picture of Sachin Tendulkar's daughter, they noticed that the background of the cafe looked very similar to the picture shared by Gill. Rumors subsequently surfaced of an alleged date between the pair ahead of India’s WTC final in 2021.

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#2 The alleged relationship with Sara Ali Khan

Sara Ali Khan and Shubman Gill dining at a restaurant.

Despite always being tight-lipped on his personal life and relationship status, Shubman Gill dropped a hint about his love life on the Punjabi talk show, “Dil Diya Gallan’ presented by Sonam Bajwa. It all started when Bajwa asked Gill to name the fittest actor in Bollywood, to which he answered Sara Ali Khan.

When asked whether he was dating the actress, he didn’t rule out the prospect and replied, “Maybe.” The anchor went a step further, albeit jokingly, and asked Gill to reveal the full truth.

“Sara ka sara sach bolo (Tell the whole truth),” Bajwa said. Gill didn’t back down and replied with a smile on his face. “Sara da sara sach bol diya (I have told the whole truth). Maybe, maybe not.”

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#3 The Rashmika Mandanna angle

Shubman Gill and Rashmika Mandanna.

In a recent media interaction, as reported by Instant Bollywood, Shubman Gill stated that he had a crush on actress Rashmika Mandanna.

However, the star batter subsequently denied it and was confused about when and where he made the comment. In an Instagram post, he wrote, "Which media interaction was this that I myself don’t know anything about.”