Sachin Tendulkar Cracked Jokes, Gave 15-Minute Demo To Ease 'Shivering' Shubman Gill: Report

Shubman Gill impressed one and all with his performance with the bat and as captain in India's gruelling five-Test series against England. Handed captaincy after the Test retirement of Rohit Sharma, Gill smashed 754 runs in five matches - the second-highest total by an Indian batter in a single series. It has now come to the fore that Gill made phone calls to three people before his captaincy debut - Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Sachin Tendulkar - and he was reportedly 'shivering' before making the final call.

While Australia great Steve Smith and New Zealand stalwart Kane Williamson gave Gill valuable advice on how to master the English conditions, Tendulkar not only advised Gill on batting, but also helped him ease his nerves.

According to a report by Times of India, Gill was tense and shivering when he called Tendulkar.

However, Tendulkar - the highest run-scorer in cricket history - immediately sensed it and calmed Gill down. Tendulkar cracked a few jokes and then talked batting.

As per the report, the 'Master Blaster' shared his experiences in England with Gill. In the final 15 minutes of their conversation, Tendulkar reportedly gave Gill a demo of where the bowlers would threaten him the most in England. Tendulkar advised Gill to hold his bat facing mid-off in order to reduce the chances of inside edges.

"Sachin sir bol rahe hain toh galat kaise ho sakta hai (If Sachin sir is saying so, how can it be wrong)," was what Gill later told people close to him, as per the report.

Gill reportedly started preparing for the series during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. The results were there for everyone to see.

754 runs, average of 75.40 and four centuries including a stunning 269 - Brendon McCullum had no choice but to vote the then-25-year-old as India's 'Player of the Series'.

Topics mentioned in this article

Shubman Gill Sachin Tendulkar Kane Williamson Steve Smith India Cricket Team Cricket