Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, childhood friends from Punjab who grew up playing cricket together, have now become two of India’s biggest hopes. Gill and Abhishek Sharma have turned their early dreams into a powerful Indian cricket story.
Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma’s powerful journey in Indian Cricket
Both Gill and Abhishek began their journey in Punjab cricket and turned heads through their performances for India’s Under-19 team. Their talent was clear from a young age, but their paths after that showed two different styles of success.
Gill became a household name after his outstanding performance in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, where he was the Player of the Tournament, amassing 372 runs at an average of 124.00. His calm mind, clean batting style, and strong technique helped him move quickly into the IPL and then the senior Indian cricket team.
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The right-handed batter made his India debut in January 2019 against New Zealand. Over the years, he became one of India’s most trusted top-order batters in all formats. His journey reached a new level in 2025, when he was handed India’s Test and ODI captaincy.
Shubman Gill’s India stats:
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s/50s | Highest Score |
| Test | 40 | 2843 | 43.07 | 10/8 | 269 |
| ODI | 61 | 2953 | 55.71 | 8/17 | 208 |
| T20I | 36 | 869 | 28.03 | 1/3 | 126* |
From raw talent to T20 destroyer: Abhishek Sharma
On the other hand, Abhishek Sharma’s journey was equally special but very different. A left-handed all-rounder with fearless batting, Abhishek was known for his attacking mindset from a young age. He led India to the Under-19 Asia Cup title in 2016 and was also part of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup-winning squad.
Unlike Gill, Abhishek’s growth took time and careful planning. He worked hard on his batting power and spin bowling, slowly shaping himself into a T20 match-winner. His big breakthrough came after a stunning IPL 2024 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, where his six-hitting ability shocked everyone.
That performance opened the doors to the Indian T20 team in September 2024. After his debut, the youngster made an immediate impact. He played fearless cricket and became one of India’s most dangerous openers. Abhishek is currently the number one ranked T20I batter.
Abhishek Sharma’s stats:
| Format | Matches | Runs | Avarage | 100s/50s | Highest Score |
| T20I | 37 | 1267 | 37.26 | 2/8 | 135 |
| FC | 24 | 1071 | 30.60 | 1/5 | 100 |
| List A | 69 | 2196 | 33.78 | 4/8 | 170 |
Meanwhile, the legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has played a big role in shaping the careers of both Abhishek and Gill. Behind the scenes, the two-time World Cup winner has guided both youngsters with his experience and strong mindset.
Yuvraj helped them understand the technical side of batting, shared match awareness, and taught them how to handle pressure at the highest level. More than skills, he focused on discipline, fitness, and mental strength, and the duo many times credited him for their success.
Shubman Gill was built for India, Abhishek Sharma had to be built: Yuvraj Singh drops a big truth
Recently, the former Indian star has clearly shown the gap between Gill and Abhishek in their early journeys. Yuvraj said that Gill was ready-made for India, but Abhishek was a raw talent who had to be built step by step. He needed time, guidance, and a strict long-term plan.
Yuvraj Singh told the tennis icon and his close friend Sania Mirza on her ‘Serving It Up with Sania’ show, “Shubman was already playing for India. He was much smarter, more hardworking, and had greater work ethics. Abhishek is someone we had to take him there.”
He further shared, “We had, like a four-year plan that if you do these things in four years, then with your talent, you could play for India. Like, I’m not here to motivate you to play for IPL or… I mean, IPL is great, and the Ranji Trophy is great, but I’m here for you to play for the country. And I think for four years, he did what I told him.
And for exactly four years and three months, he played for India. So, you know, I feel in putting in the process, for a younger guy, put in the process in them, and results will show.”
Yuvraj Singh on Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma:
“Shubman was already playing for India. He is much smarter, more hardworking, greater work ethics.
Abhishek is someone we have to take him there. We made a 4year plan for him, if he followed certain things for four years, his… pic.twitter.com/KhhJbRH56T
— GillTheWill (@GillTheWill77) January 29, 2026
