'Isko abhi khila do': How Shubman Gill’s first net session stunned Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Ravi Shastri - Ex-coach reveals

Sanjay Bangar shared a story. Shubman Gill's initial net practice amazed everyone. Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Ravi Shastri were present. Gill's batting impressed Kohli. Kohli felt he lacked Gill's talent at 19. Shastri wanted Gill in the playing eleven immediately. Gill's talent was evident from the start. Everyone realized his special ability during that session.

Shubman Gill bats on his international debut. (AP)

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar revealed an interesting story about Shubman Gill's first net session, which left Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and head coach Ravi Shastri stunned. Gill made his India debut in the one-day international in Hamilton, New Zealand.

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Back then, India skipper Virat Kohli had said that watching the young Shubman Gill bat at the nets made him realize he was not even 10 per cent as talented when he was 19. "I saw him bat in the nets and I was like wow, I was not even ten per cent of that when I was 19," Kohli had said. Bangar, who was the batting coach back then, echoed Kohli's sentiments. "It was his first session and he walked out to bat in the nets. Ravi Shastri was the head coach, the captain was Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni was still in the team. We were preparing for the 2019 ODI World Cup," Bangar said on Doordarshan Sports. "The side-arm throwers and I started to bowl at Shubman. When we pitched it up, he would play the drive.

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"Thoda sa off-stump ke bahar hai toh cut maare. Thoda sa short de do toh pull maare. Dusra net band ho gaya, inka hi net chal raha and sab dekh rahe hai ki ye kya hai. (If the ball was a little outside off-stump, he cut it. If it was slightly short, he pulled it. The other nets stopped; only his net was going on, and everyone was watching in amazement — wondering what this was.)" Bangar also explained how hyped coach Shastri was, saying he wanted Gill straight into the playing XI. "Coach Ravi Shastri was so impressed that he wanted to put him in the playing XI. ‘Isko abhi khila do’ (Play him now). "He left that kind of imprint in his first net session itself, and we realized then that this boy was special," he added.

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