Shubman Gill reveals the basic advice given to him by Rahul Dravid 

What's the story?

India's batting sensation Shubman Gill has disclosed the 'basic mantra' given to him by India A and India U-19 coach Rahul Dravid, stating that his mentor has always asked him to stick to his natural game.

Gill also labelled his double hundred against the West Indies A as one of his finest knocks in the longer format.

In case you didn't know...

Shubman Gill is arguably the brightest young batting talent in India, if not the world. Despite his tender age, the batsman has gone from strength to strength since winning the U-19 World Cup.

He recently became the youngest Indian to score a first-class double-hundred, while in the white-ball format, the 19-year-old stacked up a remarkable 218 runs (including three half-centuries) at an average of 54.50. Heading into this series, the youngster boasted over 700 runs from just five Ranji Trophy matches.

Since his early days for the U-19 team, Gill has heavily credited the legendary Rahul Dravid for his promise and success, much like many other young batsmen breaking through to the cream of the crop.

The heart of the matter

Explaining Dravid's influence on his batting as well as mental strength, Gill remarked:

"Rahul sir has been my coach since the India U-19 days and then India A. There is one basic advice from him which I always keep in mind. He would tell me that come what may, never change your basic game that got you success."

According to the teenager, Dravid believes that even when one has to alter his technique or make adjustments, it must be done within the border of his natural game. Gill continued:

He (Dravid) said that if we want to get technically more solid, all the adjustments that we make should be within the confines of our basic game."

"Rahul sir told me that if I change my game, it won't be natural anymore and may not provide success. His focus has always been on the mental make-up while we face the challenge posed by the best."

Gill has also rated his 204 earlier this month as his most supreme knock, adding:

"I would certainly rate my double hundred against the West Indies A as one of my best knocks in red ball (cricket) considering the opposition, surface and match situation."

What's next?

While Shubman Gill waits for his chance with the national setup, Virat Kohli and co. are put in to bat by the West Indies in their first game of the ICC Test Championship.

Also see - IND vs WI schedule