Shubman Gill rewarded with Test call-up for impressive first-class numbers

Shubman Gill earned his maiden Test call up as India announced its squad for the three-match home series against South Africa starting October 2 in Visakhapatnam.

India A captain Shubman Gill in action at the four-day unofficial Test match against South Africa A in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.

Shubman Gill earned his maiden Test call up as India announced its squad for the three-match home series against South Africa starting October 2 in Visakhapatnam. The former Under-19 World Cup winner replaces K.L. Rahul, who has been shown the door after a run of poor scores.

Gill was picked for the ODIs and T20Is in New Zealand earlier this year where he played two one-day internationals for 16 runs. The numbers are staggering enough. Age: 19, First Class matches: 14, runs: 1443, average: 72.15, strike rate: 74.84, hundreds: 4, fifties: 8, highest: 268.

Gill became the youngest Indian cricketer to score a First-Class double century against the West Indies-A in the third ‘Test’ in Tauroba last month. He scored an unbeaten 204 off 250 deliveries to break former India opener Gautam Gambhir’s record.

Gambhir was 20 when he notched up 218 for India Board President’s XI against the Zimbabweans in a tour match in 2002. Gill’s impressive knock had come days after he had failed to find a spot in India’s senior tour of the West Indies.

“It was disappointing not to get picked, but I am not going to spend time thinking over it. I’ll keep scoring runs and performing to the best of my ability to impress the selectors.”

It seems the selectors couldn't turn a blind eye, at last.