Shubman Gill's father reveals how 'charpoy' helped cricketer improve his game

Shubman Gill's father, Lakhwinder Singh, recently, shared insights into how his son improved his cricket skills with the help of a 'Charpoy' (a light bedstead). He explained how he personally trained Shubman to face fast bowlers before he turned into one of India's most promising talents on the international level. 

Lakhwinder described the unconventional method of throwing and skidding a ball on the charpoy while batting at the other end. This approach aimed at Gill to instill quick reactions to high pace and bounce, particularly against pace bowlers. The efficacy of this unique training became evident as the 24-year-old evolved into one of the best batters against pace bowling in the current Indian batting lineup.

"Seeing his interest in the game, I decided to train him. I made him play 500 to 700 balls every day. To make him adept at handling fast bowling, I used to throw the ball over a manji (charpoy). The ball tends to travel faster after skidding off the charpoy. Besides that, he practiced with a single stump as his bat. That helped Shubman in finding the middle of the bat more often than not," Lakhwinder told Times of India.

We dedicated 15 years to him to enable him to become a world class cricketer: Lakhwinder Singh

Furthermore, Shubman Gill's father continued by stating that their relocation to Mohali was motivated by the desire to provide Gill with top-notch training and coaching. Originally hailing from Chak Khere Wala in Fazilka, a small village near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, Gill's family relocated to Mohali. This move allowed him to undergo extensive training and practice at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, enhancing both his cricket skills and fitness.

"Our village is about 300 kilometres from Mohali. But due to lack of facilities there, we brought him here (in Mohali). We fully supported him in achieving his dream to become a cricketer. We dedicated 15 years to him to enable him to become a world-class cricketer. We even left our work and skipped several family functions including marriage ceremonies of our relatives so we could dedicate as much time as we could to him," Gill’s father concluded.