India batter Shubman Gill recalls motivating words from MS Dhoni: Your debut was better than mine

India batter Shubman Gill has recalled a story of MS Dhoni motivating him after he failed to put up a big score in his debut match. Gill said Dhoni came up to him and said at least your debut was better than mine. 

Gill says he was touched by MS Dhoni’s gesture (PTI)

By India Today Web Desk: India batter Shubman Gill has recalled a story of MS Dhoni motivating him after he failed to put up a big score in his debut match. Gill said Dhoni came up to him and said at least your debut was better than mine.

Speaking on the chat show Dil Diyan Gallan, Gill shed light on the time he made his India debut. He said he was dismissed after only scoring nine runs when Dhoni offered words of motivation to him.

“The day I made by debut, I was dismissed when India were around 15. I was sitting outside and was sad having scored just 9 runs in my debut. So Mahi bhai came and saw that I was very sad. I was then around 18-19 years old. He told me at least your debut was better than mine,” said Gill.

He went on to say that he realized that Dhoni was dismissed for a golden duck on his debut, insisting he was touched by the former India captain’s gesture.

“I realized he was dismissed for golden duck in his debut. He did not face a single ball and was run out. Then he started laughing and joking and I was touched by that gesture,” Gill added.

India’s veteran wicket-keeping batter Dinesh Karthik thinks that Gill has a lot of potential and it was only a matter of time before he earned a national call-up in T20Is.

“You just get the feeling that it was inevitable after a player of his class and ability didn’t play T20 cricket for India. There were two things, one that competition is immense in India and the fact that you are needed to do more than expected and he’s come good in the last few months,” Karthik was quoted as saying to Cricbuzz.

Gill is currently on tour to New Zealand with the Indian team for a three-match T20I series. The opening match was washed out on Friday. The second game will be played on Sunday at the Bay Oval.