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XtraTime Web Desk: He may have scored just 9 runs in his ODI debut against New Zealand, he may not be in the squad for WI tour but the young right hand batsman Shubman Gill is the next big thing of Indian cricket. In the last Indian Premier League when Kolkata Knight Riders top order was failing the team management sent Shubman up the order and he lived up to the team’s expectations in most of the matches. In the recently concluded India A tour of Windies he was adjudged Man of the Series as well for his classy batting. But a very few people knows about his remarkable journey.

Shubman was born in Fazilka, Punjab. His family owned agricultural lands there. His father, Lakhwinder Singh, an agriculturist, wanted to become a cricketer but could not fulfil his dream. He then decided to make his son, Shubman Gill, a cricketer. He would ask the hired help on the farm to throw balls at Gill to help him practice batting. One day while playing in the firm little Shubman played more than 200 balls on the trot but despite of that he didn’t look a bit tired. On that very day his family members decided to make him a cricketer. His father then moved to Mohali and rented a house near the PCA Stadium.

Interesting thing is at the age of 7 Shubman started training in Mohali but after some time his father didn’t look much happy about the training of his son as his coach didn’t give him much time as there were other students as well. After that his father decided to train him by himself.  It was his father who was his first guru. During Shubman’s childhood age he used to go to the field with his father where his father gave him the first primary lesson of cricket while doing field work. From then Shubman’s love for cricket got the kick start. Shubman’s father too opened up about his son’s love for cricket since his childhood. “He only played cricket since he was three-years-old. Kids of that age would play with toys. He never asked for such things. It was only bat and ball for him. He used to sleep with a bat and ball”, Gill's father, Lakhwinder Singh said.

After starting his career Shunbman used to play 500 to 700 balls everyday from his father. If he didn’t get a bat he used to hit the ball with a wicket. When the pitch was not good then he used to bat on it after keeping a mat on it. Shubman’s father knew that it would help him in future to play well. While playing U16 match he hit a double century and it helped him to hog the limelight of selectors and he was sent to New Zealand to play the U19 World Cup as the vice captain of the team. And we all know what happened after that. He was adjudged Man of the tournament for his remarkable batting display. After that the Shubman didn’t look behind and is currently knocking the door of the national team to become a full time member of the squad.