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News18
12 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
Young Shubman Gill's Photo Goes Viral As India's New Captain Braves Ultimate Test
Last Updated: Shubman Gill's photo from his younger days went viral on 'X' as wishes poured in to back the captain of Team India touring England for a five-match Test series starting Friday. Every child holding a bat or a ball dreams of playing for India someday. For some, cricket is a sport to catch up with their friends from the colony, and for others, it becomes a lifelong passion. When Shubman Gill was announced as the Test captain to lead India after Rohit Sharma's departure, one of the first reactions on social media was skepticism. It was a difficult test, after all. Being appointed as the captain of the red ball format ahead of a difficult England tour that includes as many as five Tests, is no walk in the park—Gill, 25, is the fifth youngest captain in India's Test history. Leading up to the Headingley Test between England and India, starting on Friday, June 20, most skepticism among some cricket fans has largely dissipated. They now believe that Gill will prove his mettle and lead India forward. 'From the soils of Punjab to the summit of Indian cricket — Shubman Gill, the son of Punjab Cricket Association, now leads the nation as Test Captain. The journey was never luck — it was destiny. You are the chosen one. And tomorrow, a new legacy begins. All of Punjab stands behind you. Now show the world why you wear that crown," a fan wrote while sharing a photo of Gill from his younger days. From the soils of Punjab to the summit of Indian cricket — Shubman Gill, the son of Punjab Cricket Association, now leads the nation as Test journey was never luck — it was are the chosen one. And tomorrow, a new legacy of Punjab stands… — Punjab Cricket Association (@pcacricket) June 19, 2025 When quizzed about what was more magnificent to him — winning a five-Test series in England or IPL — Gill had a simple response. 'Definitely the Test series in my opinion. You know, you don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England. Maybe two, if you are the best of your generation, maybe three," Gill said in a press conference. 'IPL comes every year and you get to go have a crack at it every year. So in my opinion, winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa are bigger, (sic)" he added. Gary Kirsten Former India coach Gary Kirsten, who mentored the Indian Premier League franchise Gujarat Titans led by Gill, has backed the young captain for his new role. 'I think Shubman is going to be a great leader. He's a smart cricketer, he's got a good brain for the game and understands his game. He's very talented and a nice human being, which I think is important," Kirsten said while speaking on JioHotstar. 'The one thing I like about Shubman is that he walks the talk. He's very organised, very diligent with his training and preparation and that sets a great example for other players," Kirsten said. Kirsten added that when a leader is chosen, they are bound to go through a cycle of pressure and scrutiny. Sachin Tendulkar When Sachin Tendulkar was asked about Gill's appointment as the leader of the Test team, the cricket great asserted that he had faith in the youngster and that he was a good student of the game. 'Shubman is a talented player and very, very eager to go out and compete hard and bring laurels to the nation. I have faith in him. Whatever I have seen, I have interacted a bit with him. He is a good student of the game, and whatever I have seen him in IPL T20 leading Gujarat (Titans), he has been impressive," Tendulkar told former England cricketer Michael Atherton during an interview with Sky Sports. KL Rahul KL Rahul, aged 33, was reportedly not considered for India's Test captaincy due to his age, but he is more than happy to support Gill and provide guidance whenever needed. 'I reached out to Shubman the minute the team was announced, and when he was announced (as) the captain," ," Rahul told Sony Sports Network. '(I told him) You will always find me around, any help, any guidance, if you need someone to share something with or talk to, I'm always there. About the Author Anurag Verma Anurag Verma, News Editor at works independently for the Viral section. Bollywood, Cricket, Science, Tech, YouTube, Reddit, Meme Origins and everything Pop-culture are his forte. He covers More News18's viral page features trending stories, videos, and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: June 20, 2025, 10:10 IST
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
PCA's Tweet For Shubman Gill Ahead Of His 1st Test As India Captain Breaks Internet
Last Updated: Shubman Gill was appointed as India's Test captain on May 24, and on Friday (June 20) he will play his first red-ball match as the captain of the Indian men's cricket team. Shubman Gill will make his Test captaincy debut on Friday (June 20). The 25-year-old right-handed batter from Punjab was appointed as India's 37th Test captain on May 24, and on June 20, he will play his first Test as India captain against England at Headingley in Leeds. Ahead of Gill's memorable Test, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) took to X on Thursday (June 19) to share a post for him, which is now going viral on the internet. In the viral tweet, PCA shared an old picture of Gill and wrote, 'From the soils of Punjab to the summit of Indian cricket—Shubman Gill, the son of the Punjab Cricket Association, now leads the nation as Test Captain. The journey was never luck—it was destiny. You are the chosen one. And tomorrow, a new legacy begins. All of Punjab stands behind you. Now show the world why you wear that crown." Here's a look: From the soils of Punjab to the summit of Indian cricket — Shubman Gill, the son of Punjab Cricket Association, now leads the nation as Test journey was never luck — it was are the chosen one. And tomorrow, a new legacy of Punjab stands… — Punjab Cricket Association (@pcacricket) June 19, 2025 Gill, who has played 32 Tests for India so far, was preferred for the top job over the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah. Gill will succeed Rohit Sharma as India Test captain, and the right-handed batter would like to lead by example. Gill, who is seen as the next big thing in cricket by many fans, experts, and greats of the game, has captained India in five T20Is so far and won four matches. He was appointed as vice-captain of India's T20I and ODI teams last year in July. In the five-match Test series between India and England, Gill will bat at No. 4. While speaking to reporters during India's pre-match press conference on Thursday, Gill said both he and head coach Gautam Gambhir felt the No. 4 slot was ideal for him once Kohli retired. 'After Virat Bhai retired, me and GG (Gautam Gambhir) Bhai had a discussion about it, and we were both clear that he wanted me to bat at No. 4, and I was also clear that I also wanted to bat at that number," he said. Gill also emphasised on giving longer ropes to deserving players. 'It's about (having) clear communication; what do you want from them? Trying to assign roles and how they would want to go about their things. Having the confidence to be able to back them with their natural game (as to) how they want to play this game," he said. 'Definitely there would be some players that you tend to give long ropes just because of their pure potential that you see. But having said that, it's all about giving them clear communication and having honest conversations with them, and that's how I feel the bond of a leader and a player is (at) the best," he added.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Punjab Cricket Association secretary Dilsher resigns citing personal reasons
Nearing the end of his three-year tenure as secretary of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), 35-year-old Dilsher Khanna resigned from the post on Sunday, citing personal reasons. The elections to choose the next PCA apex council for the 2025-2028 term are scheduled for mid-July. In a letter sent to the PCA president, council and members, Dilsher wrote: 'Due to personal reasons, I hereby resign as honorary secretary of the Punjab Cricket Association with immediate effect.' In his letter, Dilsher highlighted Punjab's cricketing and administrative achievements during his tenure, including hosting the IPL successfully in 2024 and 2025 at the New Chandigarh stadium, a feat that drew praise from across the cricketing fraternity. Last year, he was part of the Indian team management for the T20 World Cup held in the USA and the West Indies, where India eventually lifted the trophy under Rohit Sharma's captaincy. He also played a pivotal role in introducing administrative reforms within PCA, notably launching the association's own T20 league, Sher-e-Punjab, two seasons ago. Recognising his contribution, BCCI appointed him to the Women's Premier League (WPL) panel a few months ago. It remains to be seen whether Dilsher will take up another administrative role in BCCI following his resignation from PCA.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Dilsher Khanna resigns as PCA secretary
Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) secretary Dilsher Khanna has resigned from his post. Khanna, who was also the team manager during the Indian cricket team's historic T20 World Cup triumph in the US and West Indies last year, submitted his resignation in an official letter sent to PCA president Amarjeet Mehta. Khanna had become the PCA secretary in 2022. 'Yes, I have resigned from the post of PCA secretary,' Khanna confirmed the development while talking with The Indian Express. 'On a personal note, it was a privilege of a lifetime that I was the team manager for the Indian T20 World Cup winning men's cricket team in 2024. That memory will stay with me forever. However, currently due to my personal reasons, I hereby resign as honorary secretary of the Punjab Cricket Association with immediate effect,' a copy of the letter which is in possession with The Indian Express states. Khanna, 33, an alumnus of Doon School and Delhi University and also a certified pilot, was elected as PCA secretary in 2022 with former cricketer Gulzar Inder Singh Chahal being elected as PCA president in the association's Annual General Meeting. Chahal had resigned four months after his election with reports of irregularities during his term coming to fore with former cricketer and Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh too accusing Chahal of being involved. Bathinda hotelier Amarjeet Mehta was elected its new president in February 2023. During Khanna's three-year tenure, PCA saw the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA International Stadium at Mullanpur being completed fully and hosting Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in 2024. His stint also saw Punjab winning five national titles apart from the PCA's introduction of Sher-e-Punjab T20 Cup. The Punjab association has also seen the likes of Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, and Ramandeep Singh apart from others playing for the Indian cricket team in recent years. Khanna was also awarded with a commendation certificate by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria in a UT Administration function on Independence Day last year. Earlier this year, Khanna was also appointed as a member of the Women's Premier League (WPL) committee by the BCCI. In 2017, industrialist Rajinder Gupta was elected as PCA president with R P Singla elected as secretary before he was re-elected to the post in 2019 with advocate and former cricketer Puneet Bali elected as PCA secretary. Before his nomination in 2019, Gupta had offered to resign but was chosen as PCA president months later. Gupta had resigned as the PCA president in 2022 followed by Chahal being elected as PCA president. As per BCCI constitution in line with the Supreme Court ruling, there is a nine-year tenure limit for any officer bearer, which can be served either entirely at state association, BCCI level or a combination of both. There is also a ruling of serving a three-year cooling off period after two consecutive terms of three-year each. Nitin Sharma is an Assistant Editor with the sports team of The Indian Express. Based out of Chandigarh, Nitin works with the print sports desk while also breaking news stories for the online sports team. A Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award recipient for the year 2017 for his story 'Harmans of Moga', Nitin has also been a two-time recipient of the UNFPA-supported Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity for the years 2022 and 2023 respectively. Nitin mainly covers Olympics sports disciplines with his main interests in shooting, boxing, wrestling, athletics and much more. The last 17 years with The Indian Express has seen him unearthing stories across India from as far as Andaman and Nicobar to the North East. Nitin also covers cricket apart from women's cricket with a keen interest. Nitin has covered events like the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2017 AIBA World Youth Boxing Championships. An alumnus of School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, from where he completed his Masters in Mass Communications degree, Nitin has been an avid quizzer too. A Guru Nanak Dev University Colour holder, Nitin's interest in quizzing began in the town of Talwara Township, a small town near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border. When not reporting, Nitin's interests lie in discovering new treks in the mountains or spending time near the river Beas at his hometown. ... Read More
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
As Gill matures into India's Test captain, Ghavri has a word of caution
Lakhwinder Singh moved mountains to make his son a cricketer, but former India fast bowler Karsan Ghavri, too, played a significant role in shaping Shubman Gill's career. More than a decade ago, Ghavri was overseeing the BCCI pace bowlers' academy in Mohali. During a U-19 camp, he struggled to find young batters. Initially, they conducted drill sessions in an indoor facility, but after a week, Ghavri realised there were no batters available to face the pacers. He requested the Punjab Cricket Association for U-16, U-19, or U-23 batters to help. Gill was consumed by his love for the sport. When not training at the academy in Mohali, he would play tennis-ball cricket. 'Around this time, I remember it was raining one day and there was leakage in the indoor facility, so we had to stop our practice sessions. Assistant coach Yoginder Puri and I walked across the road to this huge ground, which hosts PCA's district games, and saw some kids playing in the rain. One young boy caught my attention because of his batting style, and that kid was Shubman,' Ghavri said. Moments later, Ghavri walked up to a gentleman, Lakhwinder Singh, sitting outside the boundary. 'I asked him whether he knew about this boy who was batting so well. To my surprise, he replied, ' Woh mera beta hai (he is my son).' I told him not to allow Shubman to play tennis-ball cricket and insisted on bringing him on board for our camp,' Ghavri recollected. Also read | Captaincy debut away from home — For India's new Test skipper, Shubman-Gill, England tour is baptism by fire 'Shubman was just 11 or 12, and I wanted him to face our U-19 fast bowlers. He came to our camp the next day, and over the next few days, he gelled so well with our group that he started training with our boys. Every day, he would bat for an hour. During the camp, the U-19 bowlers were given a fresh, new ball every day, and he faced some of the promising young bowlers, including Sandeep Sharma and Baltej Singh. He played them really well,' Ghavri said. Ghavri asked Sushil Kapoor, the academy's administrative manager at the time, to place Gill in the U-14 squad for Punjab. Gill's impressive performances there led to his inclusion in Punjab's age-group teams. It was largely because of Ghavri's efforts that PCA roped in Gill in its age-group teams and provided him with all the support en-route to his journey of becoming India's 37th Test captain. Back then, Ghavri, did not imagine that the young batter would eventually become India's Test captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma. But the former cricketer was certain about the young gun's incredible talent. So much so, that he was convinced Gill would emerge as the 'next superstar of Indian cricket if he remained grounded'. On Saturday, as the national selectors handed the big responsibility to Gill, Ghavri was happy, but also had a word of caution for the new captain. 'Leading a team in the Indian Premier League and captaining India are two different things. Being the captain of a very young team, the pressure will always be more on Shubman. But he should take this as an opportunity and prove himself as proper Test cricketer,' Ghavri told Sportstar. Despite the likes of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul in its ranks, the batting unit is largely inexperienced. | Photo Credit: RAGU R/ The Hindu With Virat Kohli and Rohit moving on from Test cricket, Gill will have to fill the void, and that, by no means, will be easy. Though he has enjoyed success in Tests at home, an average of 25 in 28 innings in overseas Tests, does not quite speak highly. In fact, Gill could just score 88 runs in six innings in England, whereas his only century outside India came in Bangladesh in December 2022. So, there are obvious concerns. Ghavri believes that the selectors should have ideally picked Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara to add solidity to the batting unit. 'They (Rahane and Pujara) would have been effective because of their experience. Now, one has to see who has the temperament for Test cricket. The bowling unit is quite formidable, and maybe, we will be able to claim 20 wickets, but for that, we also need to put up at least 400 odd runs. Now, the question remains, who's going to do it?' Ghavri wondered. 'Shubman has the temperament, but it needs to be seen whether he can hang in there and score those runs. Most of these guys are very comfortable in T20 cricket, so it is not easy to switch formats. In such a crucial tour, Shubman, KL Rahul, (Yashasvi) Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan need to step up and steady the batting order.' Having featured in 39 Test matches and claiming 109 wickets, Ghavri understands the challenges a touring team faces in England. Keeping that in mind, he expects Gill to not crumble under pressure and keep calm. 'It is a huge pressure and there's no denying it,' Ghavri said. 'But when he takes the field, he has to be a good leader - which he is - and bring the best out of the players. Apart from this, keeping everyone together will be the key.' Also read | India squad for England Test series 2025 'When Virat and Rohit were around, the youngsters had huge respect for them because both of them were legends. But in this team, nobody is a legend right now, and this tour of England will be a test of their character, and it will be interesting to see how they conduct themselves in tricky situation.' Despite the likes of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul in its ranks, the batting unit is largely inexperienced and in English conditions, it would certainly not be easy to bat out for long. 'Gill ko lamba khelna hoga (Gill has to play long) and he will have to ensure that others score as well. It's a huge challenge. We have all seen him as a batter, and are aware of his capability, but his real test is now,' Ghavri added. But having seen Gill since his formative years, the former cricketer is hopeful that he would make the most of the opportunity. 'He has worked really hard to come so far, and now that there's a big chance, I'm sure he will give his best effort.'
