I’m so excited to play under Virat Kohli: Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill’s rise has been nothing short of phenomenal. He has grown from strength to strength since slamming 351 in Punjab’s Inter-District Under-16 tournament in 2014.  He was one of the most sought after players in last year’s Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. The highly-rated batsman finished the competition with 372 runs at an average of 124 and bagged the Man of the Tournament award.

A couple of months later, he showed his immense potential in the IPL. Playing for Kolkata Knight Riders, the 19-year old slammed 203 runs in addition to scoring a match-winning fifty against eventual winners Chennai Super Kings. He was soon fast-tracked into the India ‘A’ side and impressed once again. Gill has now further enhanced his reputation with a stunning outing in this season of the Ranji Trophy.

In just 5 games, he has amassed 728 runs at an incredible average of 104. He has been in red-hot form since returning to the country after India’s A tour of New Zealand. In his first innings upon return, he scored 268 against Tamil Nadu before scoring 148 in the following game against Hyderabad. Gill also averages an impressive 47.72 from 37 List A games.

The selectors have now rewarded him with his maiden call-up for the upcoming tours of New Zealand. Gill along with Vijay Shankar have been named as replacements for Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul. Both Pandya and Rahul have been sent home following the controversy after they appeared on talk show Koffee with Karan.

Excited Gill looks to learn from Virat Kohli:

The youngster will join the Indian camp in the coming few days. Unsurprisingly, he is very excited and wants to pick a leaf out of Virat Kohli’s books.

“The way India beat Australia (in Tests) under Virat paaji shows his leadership qualities. He is a tremendous cricketer who has set high standards. I’m so excited to play under his captaincy. I am sure I can learn a lot from him. His aggression, technique and fitness inspire me,” Shubman told Hindustan Times.

The series in New Zealand, meanwhile, will get underway with the first ODI on January 23 in Napier. India will play 5 ODIs before taking on the hosts in three-match T20I series.  Gill is part of both the teams – ODI as well T20I.

Watch: Flop XI of AUSvIND Test series:

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