Bangar revealed that Ravi Shastri was so captivated by Shubman Gill’s net session that he immediately wanted him drafted into the playing XI.
Sanjay Bangar recalls how Gill amazed teammates in his debut training session
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar shared memories of Shubman Gill’s very first training session with the national team during his debut tour in 2019. Today, Gill’s stature has grown significantly — he is already India’s Test captain, with speculation that the BCCI may soon present him as an all-format skipper. But long before his rise, the youngster had left his seniors and coaches stunned.
Bangar revealed that Gill immediately caught everyone’s attention when he stepped into the nets alongside legends like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. The batting coach recalled how Shubman Gill adapted seamlessly to side-arm throwdowns, playing drives to fuller balls, cuts to deliveries outside off, and pulling anything short with confidence.
“It was his first session, and everyone stopped to watch,” Bangar told Doordarshan Sports. “Other nets were paused because people were amazed at what this young boy was doing. He looked completely at ease, almost as if he had been part of the team for years.”
“Ravi Shastri was so impressed that…”
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar revealed that Shubman Gill’s first training session with the national team in 2019 left such a mark that then-head coach Ravi Shastri wanted him in the playing XI right away.
Gill eventually made his debut against New Zealand in the fourth ODI of the series but struggled to leave a mark in the two games, managing scores of just 9 and 7. Still, his breakthrough came in 2022 on the West Indies tour, where he began cementing his place in the ODI squad. Since then, Gill has not only become a mainstay but also climbed to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings, underlining the promise first seen in that memorable net session.
