After Shubman Gill‘s impressive performance in Birmingham, former India cricketer Karsan Ghavri shared an interesting story about discovering the young talent. In an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today, Ghavri reflected on spotting Gill’s exceptional ability when he was just around 11 years old. He was instantly impressed by the youngster’s technique and batting skills, which were apparent even at that early age.

“We had a BCCI and NCA-organised camp for fast bowlers, with around 17-18 fast bowlers from across India. During our training, we lacked batter to face the bowlers. So, I requested Mr. Pandava and Mr. Sushil Kapoor, the president at the time, to send some talented under-16 and under-19 batters to challenge our bowlers. The camp included separate sessions for under-16, under-19, and under-23 players. This was during the first under-16 camp, when we were practising outdoors at Mahali,” Karsan said.

“It started raining, and we didn’t want to risk our young fast bowlers slipping while bowling or during their follow-through, so we halted practice. There was no indoor facility available at the time due to ongoing work at the Punjab Cricket Association. We called off the session, and my assistant coach, Yogendra Puri, and I decided to stop, though the rain wasn’t heavy, ” he said.

“It was just drizzling, and we didn’t want to risk our young fast bowlers getting injured. So, we called it off and went across the road to a small ground outside Mohali Stadium. There were several boys playing cricket in the rain. One young player stood out. I’m not sure if it was a match or practice, but he was playing so technically correct. The way he was striking the ball made me think, ‘This guy has a lot of fire, a lot of spark,” he added.

Karsan Ghavri on Discovering Shubman Gill’s Talent at 11

“Once you like someone, they immediately stay in your mind and heart. So, I asked my assistant coach, Yogi, to bring him in for practice. Yogi replied, ‘Sir, we need to get permission from PCA and all that.’ I said, ‘That can be done.’ As we were walking back, I noticed one gentleman waiting in the rain at the boundary line. I approached him and asked, ‘Sir, do you know the boy who’s batting? Who is he?’ He replied, He is my son,” he further added.

I asked, ‘What’s his name?’ He said, ‘Shubman Gill.’ His father, Lakhwinder Singh, added, ‘He’s my son.’ I then told him, ‘Please, from tomorrow onwards, ask him to join our nets and face our fast bowlers either in the nets or indoors. In a couple of days, he’ll be indoors, and so, very religiously, he started practising with our boys, even at the age of 11 and 12,” Karsan mentioned.

Karsan Ghavri also discussed the potential of emerging talents like Shubman Gill, comparing him to established stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He highlighted their dedication and skill, noting that Gill’s future success, even if achieved later in his career, would not be surprising due to his exceptional talent and work ethics.

“Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are dedicated. These are the players who can achieve great things. And even if Gill achieves end of his career, I will not be surprised.”