Although they haven’t played much together in the national team, Indian opening batsmen Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill have a strong bond off the pitch that dates back to their youth cricket days. Both batters were members of the U-19 team that won the 2018 World Cup, and during that competition, the Punjab pair was a standout for the Men in Blue.
Sharma had to put in a lot of effort to receive recognition, whereas Gill received it early for winning Player of the Tournament. Gill made his India debut in 2019, a year later, but Abhishek Sharma didn’t make his international debut for another five years. Abhishek has really taken off in the past year or two and ignited the T20 cricket scene.
In a recent interview, Shubman Gill recalled how their connection began, saying it began during their Under-16 years.
He asserted that Sharma was hitting 80 or 90 runs while batting. The fight started when the 25-year-old requested Abhishek to come back because he didn’t want his bat broken.
In fact, it began during our U-16 days. I requested Abhishek to return my match bat since I didn’t want it to shatter while he was hitting 80 or 90. Over that, we ended up fighting a little bit,” he told JioStar.
Even though the altercation was brief and unimportant, the two have a stronger friendship now, as evidenced by their friendliness even when they are playing for different IPL teams. The Sunrisers Hyderabad opener frequently uses his bat and gets a tonne of runs, according to the Gujarat Titans captain. With some impressive performances in the domestic circuit, the Southpaw has made a name for himself in the Men in Blue limited overs setup.
In relation to the 2025 Indian Premier League, Gill and his team GT have been playing very well, and the batter has also won the Orange Cap. The fact that Abhishek was unable to duplicate his 2024 season blitz was one of the main reasons why SRH was eliminated from the competition earlier. The left-handed opener, who also scored a century, has been the team’s finest batter, though.
When India and Bangladesh play a multi-format series in August, Abhishek and Gill are anticipated to open the innings together.
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