Shubman Gill: A Farm Boy's Journey To IPL Big Bucks & Scoring An U-19 WC Hundred

"Bas ho gaya? Kar liya? Maar liya chhakka?" - These are the words Shubman Gill was generally greeted with, every time his father saw him getting dismissed in a cricket match. A cursory glance at the scoreboard would tell his sister the way he got dismissed before her typical taunts in Punjabi took centre stage. But, on the 30th of January, neither those comments, nor the taunts mattered as the 18-year-old didn't just remain unbeaten, but, in the process, also notched up a match-winning hundred to propel the India under-19 cricket team into the ICC World Cup final. A masterful innings of 102 runs off 94 deliveries was decorated with seven boundaries before it steamrolled Pakistan out of the tournament. © Twitter/cricketworldcup Gill was rightly adjudged the Man of the Match for his heroics and also earned plaudits from every corner of the country. While those who saw Gill bat or read about his brilliant innings in the semi-finals for the first time might have been surprised by his wide array of strokes, but for those who've kept tabs on the ongoing ICC U-19 World Cup, the right-hander sweeping top honours won't come as a surprise. Hagley Oval roared when Shubman Gill reached his ð¯! #PAKvIND #U19CWC pic.twitter.com/T7QozxFhBd — Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) January 30, 2018 He began the tournament with a splendid knock of 63 runs against Australia where India romped to a 100-run win. In the next game against Papua New Guinea, he didn't get to bat as his teammates Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Kalra got India over the line with 10 wickets in hand. Sent to open the innings against Zimbabwe, Shubman smashed an unbeaten 90 including 14 fours and a noticeable Virat Kohli-esque short arm jab for six to pave way for another Team India win. SPECIAL: @imVkohli invents short-arm jab & Shubman Gill reproduces it at #U19CWC Here's the comparison of the unique shot -https://t.co/0PsVpk1lvR pic.twitter.com/3QfzQIBTue — BCCI (@BCCI) January 19, 2018 His artistry with the willow continued in the quarterfinals where he scored a 94-ball 86 to propel India into the semi-finals. And, in the wee hours today, Pakistan bore the full brunt of Shubman's willow during his superlative hundred. Thanks to his blazing run, the young cricketer from Punjab is currently the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 341 runs to his name. He also converted his record sixth fifty-plus score in Youth ODIs into a brilliant back-to-the-wall century for India. Watch the top shots from Shubman Gill's super 102* - will it turn out to be a match-winning century? â¶ï¸ http://ift.tt/2nphjw6 #U19CWC pic.twitter.com/KFUZEk833u — ICC (@ICC) January 30, 2018 And, that's not all. Forget his numbers at the U-19 level for India - an average of over 100 in 11 games, Shubman can't recall failing for three innings in a row. Ever. His records are formidable, feats unbelievable. But, the big question is - how on earth did he evolve into such a marauding run-machine at a tender age? Coming from a family of landlords, failure was never an option for Shubman who began his cricketing journey at the age of 4. © Twitter/cricketworldcup It all started with a father throwing the ball at his son in a village called Chak Kherewala near Jalalabad in the Fazilka district of Punjab. Impressed by his son's ability to hit the ball, Shubman's father came upon an innovative plan where he deployed his farmhands - 18 to 20-year-olds - to throw the ball at his son with a cash reward of Rs 100 for anyone who could get him out. Top Inn by our own lad #shubmanGill in U-19 India vs Pakistan World Cup semi final..so proud of you..keep going guys.. Cup Jeet kar aana hai.. All the best for the finals #Rahuldravidððð one more game guys ð®ð³ð®ð³ð®ð³ð®ð³ð®ð³ð®ð³ — Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) January 30, 2018 Standing tall in his large veranda, Shubman batted for long durations. With time, the boy gained strength and gathered enough skill to negate his father's farmhands for almost three to four hours a day. While people migrate to bigger towns and cities for various everyday reasons, for the Gills, it was the cricketing future of their son. After toiling for three years with the tennis ball in his veranda, Shubman's baptism by the leather ball happened after his family moved to Jalalabad. With more systematic training at school, the youngster began honing his skills. But, realising the district was too small for the aspirations of his son, Shubman's father travelled to Chandigarh, found an academy opposite Mohali stadium, rented a house at walking distance and moved his family again. © BCCL With his family doing everything they could for his dreams, it was time for Shubman to repay their faith with his hardwork. And, that's exactly what the youngster did. At the age of 8, the boy would wake up at 3:30 am, get ready for two hours of practice from 4, attend school, return in the afternoon for more cricket under the supervision of his dad before joining the evening session at the academy. Led by the heroics of this young #FutureStar, Shubman Gill, India will play their 6th final of the @ICC #U19CWC. He was a class apart today! Brilliant 100 and two outstanding catches. Well done ðð» #IndvPak @cricketworldcup pic.twitter.com/hyaBAQCzAJ — Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) January 30, 2018 Despite his relentless training and commendable support from his family, the realms of cricket were still far from Shubman. But, good things happen to people who are ready to work hard. In Shubman's case, it seemed so. While he was anonymously working out at the small academy opposite to Mohali's PCA stadium, former India pacer Karsan Ghavri held a bowling camp for talented seamers where he needed kids to bat against his bowlers. And, that's when young Shubman came into picture. What a 100 from Shubman Gill.Played with a lot of maturity and responsibility.272 is a good score. Now the onus is on the bowlers. #IndvPak #under19worldcup — VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) January 30, 2018 Putting up a brave fight to Ghavri's seamers, Shubman managed to impress the former Indian cricketer with his batting prowess. Ghavri was so impressed that he asked the youngster to come and bat every day. A relationship developed, between a mentor and a willing boy, and valuable career-shaping lessons were learnt. © Twitter/cricketworldcup Shubman began facing bowlers much older to him and perfected his technique including the blissful pull shot. The Ghavri stint allowed the youngster to dream on and aim higher. In 2014, he smacked 351 in Punjab's Inter-District Under-16 tournament, and shared a record opening stand of 587 with Nirmal Singh. Top knock #ShubmanGill great batting brother ðð®ð³ðªloved the temperament of yours !! #under19worldcup #indpak19 @ICC pic.twitter.com/cTxxoZQNAs — Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) January 30, 2018 On his Under-16 state debut for Punjab, he amassed an unbeaten double-century in the Vijay Merchant Trophy. Later that year, he went on to share the stage with his idol Virat Kohli while receiving a BCCI award for the best junior cricketer, which he won for two successive years: 2013-14 and 2014-15. Shubman Gill has set a new record for the most consecutive 50+ scores in U19 ODIs! ð#howzstat #PAKvIND #U19CWC pic.twitter.com/R57OZcTVYi — Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) January 30, 2018 After being picked for the national U-19 side, he amassed 351 runs in four innings to be named the Man of the Series during the Youth ODI series at home against England. In the reciprocal tour, his first in English conditions, he top-scored once more, with 278 runs in four innings. Not so surprisingly, India swept both series © Twitter/cricketworldcup A boy whose wicket was priced at Rs 100 at the age of five, has undeniably come a long way to realise his dreams of playing for India. His passion for cricket and relentless pursuit for forging his own path also saw him bag a Rs 1.80-crore payout from Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL auctions. And, while breaking into the senior team might still take some doing, it's safe to say that this young gun is destined for bigger and greater things in future.