Abhishek Sharma shares a nostalgic story about Shubman Gill
The friendship between Abhishek Sharma and Shubhman Gill is not hidden from anyone. Abhishek and Shubman's cricketing bond dates back to their Under-12 days, since they have been playing for the same academy since the beginning. During their early years, both of them began playing in Punjab domestic circles. Both were trained under former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh's guidance and share a close, competitive friendship that has helped them excel in IPL and represent India. Today, they both have become important players for the Indian cricket team. Abhishek Sharma is the current No. 1-ranked T20 batter, while Shubman Gill is the current ODI and test skipper.
Recently, the Indian cricket team was honoured with awards for their success at the recently held BCCI Naman Awards, during which Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma were also featured. During the event, Abhishek shared childhood memories, during which he mentioned a special thing related to Shubman Gill, after hearing which, even Shubman could not stop laughing.
When Anchor Harsha Bhogle asked him Which brand of phone was the cricketer’s first? In response, he said that Samsung. Along with the answer, he also said that during the age-group cricket days, when hardly anyone had a phone, Shubman Gill was the only boy in his group who carried an iPhone.
"Abhishek, what was your first phone?" Harsha Bhogle asked the cricketer.
"It was a Samsung phone. But I still remember during the Under-12 or Under-14 days, the only guy in our group who had an iPhone was Shubman Gill," Abhishek replied.
During the event, Shubman Gill received the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (Men) for the 2024–25 season at the 2026 BCCI Naman Awards. This marks the second time Gill has won this prestigious honour. For the Women’s team, Smriti Mandhana received the award for Best International Cricketer (Women) for the fifth time.
During the event, India's Champions Trophy 2025 winning team, 2026 T20 World Cup winning team, Women’s ODI World Cup winning team, Under 19 Cricket World Cup 2026 winning team, and Women's Under 19 T20 World Cup 2025 winning team were honoured. Abhishek Sharma was a part of the T20 World Cup 2026 champion Indian team, while Shubman Gill was a part of the Champions Trophy-winning team.
At the moment, the two players are preparing for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Abhishek Sharma will play for Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Shubman Gill will lead the Gujarat Titans.
