Sanjay Bangar Recalls Shubman Gill’s Impressive Debut Net Session For India

February 8, 2025: Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Manjrekar recently shared a memorable recollection of Shubman Gill’s first-ever net session with the Indian senior team, highlighting the opener’s impressive display against throwdown specialists that caught the attention of coach Ravi Shastri. Manjrekar spoke about how Gill’s performance during the session was so striking that Shastri immediately recognized his potential.

In a video shared by Star Sports on their official X handle, Manjrekar said, “The first glimpse of Shubman Gill we had during his first net session for India, there is a tradition in India that during the nets session, if you want that approval, you will have to do well against throwdown specialists, who bowl really fast. And unhone uss nets session mein, jo ek screen test hota haina, aise patakhe bajaye the (during that session, which is a screen test of sorts, he produced such incredible shots). Ravi Shastri was like, ek tayaar player mill gya humein (we have got a ready-made player).”

Gill’s rise has been swift since his debut for India in 2019 following his standout performance in the 2018 U-19 World Cup, where he was named ‘Player of the Tournament’ after scoring 372 runs in six matches. Since then, Gill has become a mainstay in the Indian team, establishing himself as one of the country’s premier all-format players.

In his 101 international appearances, Gill has accumulated 4,886 runs in 128 innings, averaging 42.85, with 12 centuries and 24 fifties. His ODI career, in particular, stands out, with 2,415 runs in just 48 matches at an impressive average of 58.90, including six centuries and 14 fifties. He is the fastest player in the world to reach 2,000 ODI runs, accomplishing the feat in just 38 innings, and is also the youngest player to score an ODI double century. He is part of an elite group of Indian players with centuries in all international formats.

However, his Test record has been a bit inconsistent. In 32 Test matches, Gill has scored 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05, with five centuries and seven fifties. In T20Is, he has scored 578 runs in 21 matches, with a strike rate of 139.27.

Gill’s most recent performance came in India’s tense ODI against England, where he scored a crucial 87 off 96 balls, anchoring the run chase after India was reduced to 19/2. He will next be in action during the second ODI against England at Cuttack on Sunday, continuing his journey as one of India’s brightest cricketing talents.