"I was three years old, and he was quite shocked" - Shubman Gill reveals intriguing childhood cricket story 

India Test skipper Shubman Gill recently revealed a fascinating story from his childhood, recalling how he would imitate cricketers on TV at just three years old. The Punjab batter shared the anecdote on a YouTube podcast with Apple Music, released on Thursday, September 11, where he spoke about watching cricket with his father, Lakhwinder Singh.

Gill said his father was shocked to see him display such cricketing skills at such a young age, marking the beginning of his journey in the sport. He stated:

“I then used to sit and watch, okay, what is the batsman doing, how is he hitting, and I used to try to imitate that. When he used to come back and see, oh, if I’m doing it in the right way. I was about three years old, and he was quite shocked. It’s quite rare that a three-year-old can imitate seeing something on the screen that well. And that’s how it started. He’s also my coach, so that’s how he started coaching me. That’s how we… so people used to work on our farm, they used to come and throw balls at me, and I used to bat.”

The 26-year-old spoke about moving to Chandigarh for better opportunities. He also shared that his father attends most of his matches and often travels with him when he plays outside India. Shubman Gill said:

“When I turned about 7, that's when we came from there to Chandigarh, where I am right now, because back in the village, obviously not many facilities, not many opportunities there. Chandigarh was the capital of Punjab, a very booming city, and then that is when we came there. He enrolled me into an academy, and that's how my actual cricketing journey started.”

“Most of the matches, especially when I was young, he used to travel with me wherever I went in India, and he loved watching me, seeing what I was doing, just being with me all the time. Even when I go outside of India, he mostly travels with me. Him, one of his friends, my mom, or my sister would be there,” he added.

Shubman Gill will be back in action on Sunday, September 14, when India take on Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai.

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“I realized this when I was 11” - Shubman Gill reveals the defining moment that shaped his cricketing journey

During the same conversation, Shubman Gill also spoke about the moment he realized he would pursue a career in cricket. He recalled playing an Under-23 match at the age of 11, where he remained unbeaten and scored around 90 runs. He shared:

“Honestly, I realized this is going to be my career when I was 11. Like, a moment happened. There was a camp going on of under-23 Indian fast bowlers, and I was only 11. So they were more than double my age, most of the players there, and they were a batsman short. One of my really good friends, one of my closest friends who I practiced with, Kushpreet, was in that camp. He was a fast bowler and he asked the head coach if he could get me because we were a batsman short and we were playing a match.”

“So they asked me to come, but then they were like, 'Oh, he's too… like, he's too young. He's 11, he's 11, he's too young. He won't be able to play here.' But he said, 'He plays with me. I bowl to him and he can play me, so he can play here as well.' They were like, 'Okay,’” he added.

Shubman Gill continued:

“And then I was batting way down the order, like at number seven or eight. Our first four or five batsmen got out within four or five overs, and then I went in to bat and scored 90-something not out. That moment and that innings, like, it was just a practice match, nothing, but the confidence that moment gave me is what made me realize, okay, this is… this is like, I'm meant to do this.”

Shubman Gill has represented India in 114 matches across formats, scoring 6,020 runs at an average of 46.30, including 25 fifties and 18 tons.