Top 5 unknown facts about Shubman Gill
Fondly known as the Prince of Indian cricket, Shubman Gill needs no introduction. From being India’s highest run-getter in the Under-19 World Cup in 2018 to becoming India’s Test captain in 2025, it has been an incredible journey for Gill, so far. Of course, there have been many challenges as without them, you don’t reach such heights. But, the Punjab batter has fought every battle with grace and determination and he is expected to scale greater heights.
Shubman Gill caught the nation's attention for the first time after delivering outstanding performance with the bat in the Under-19 World Cup 2018. During this time, he was also a much talked-about name at the IPL auction. Kolkata Knight Riders roped him in for 1.8 crore at the 2018 IPL Auction. His dream to represent India soon turned into reality as he got picked for the New Zealand tour in 2019. He made his India debut in the fourth ODI vs New Zeaaland on 31 January 2019 in Hamilton.
Gill batted at number three in that game and scored 9 off 21 balls. In the next game, he only managed 7 off 11 balls. His Test debut came on the tour of Australia the following year. Shubman Gill made his Test debut for India in the second Test of the 2020–21 Border–Gavaskar Trophy, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, played from 26 to 30 December. He scored 45 and 35* in that match, showcasing his composure under pressure.
His first ODI hundred came against Zimbabwe in 2022. Shubman Gill stamped his authority with the bat in the 2023. After making his T20I debut in January, he smashed his maiden T20I ton later in the same month. With that, he also became the fifth Indian batter to have scored hundreds in all three formats. The 2023 Indian Premier League edition saw him pile up 890 runs, which included as many as three centuries. He carried on his phenomenal form in the 2023 Asia Cup, where he finished as the highest run-scorer.
Shubman missed the first two matches of the 2023 World Cup but made a comeback and went on to score 354 runs in nine games. Gill captained India for the first time after the 2024 T20 World Cup on the tour of Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series. India lost the first T20I but went on to win the series 4-1. On 24th May 2025, Shubman Gill was officially announced as the captain of the Indian Test team. He is currently leading India in the five-match away Test series against England.
Here are five unknown facts about Shubman Gill:
- Shubman Gill was born on 8th September 1999 in Fazilka, Punjab India. Due to a lack of cricketing facilities in his hometown, his father decided to move to Mohali. His father rented a house near the Punjab Cricket Association and enrolled Shubman in the academy.
- During the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, Shubman Gill wanted to wear jersey number 7, but he couldn’t, as it had already been taken by one of his teammates. In the Indian team, MS Dhoni had worn the number 7 jersey with pride for many years, and in 2023, the BCCI officially retired it as a tribute to him. Unable to wear number 7, Shubman Gill chose to wear number 77, instead.
- Shubman Gill was the Player of the Tournament in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. He was the vice-captain of the Indian team and scored the most runs for his team in the tournament. In six matches, he scored 372 runs at an average of 124, including two centuries. India won the Under-19 World Cup trophy after beating Australia by 8 wickets. Gill scored 31 off 30 balls in the final.
- Shubman Gill’s current favourite batter is Sachin Tendulkar. His favourite foreign player is Ricky Ponting, while his favourite footballer is Lionel Messi. His favourite Indian food is Butter Chicken.
Your favourite batsman #AskShubhman
— अंजू #TeamIndia❤️ (@Deep_Point_) April 26, 2020Ricky Ponting
— Shubman Gill (@ShubmanGill) April 26, 2020Messi or Ronaldo? #AskShubman
— Simran Randhawa (@Randhawa36_) April 26, 2020 - Shubman lent his voice (in both Hindi and Punjabi) to Pavitr Prabhakar—India’s Spider‑Man—in Spider‑Man: Across the Spider‑Verse.
