‘You are considered the next big thing’ – Former India fielding coach recalls scolding Shubman Gill

It seems as if former India fielding coach R Sridhar‘s book ‘Coaching Beyond: My days with the Indian Cricket team is not just a book. It is also Pandora’s box full of secrets that might interest Indian Cricket fans. At first, the book revealed the secrets around MS Dhoni’s retirement from international cricket. It also revealed how the former India skipper was scolded by Ravi Shastri in 2018.

Now, the former India fielding coach has revealed why he scolded Shubman Gill. At the time, the latter was making strides in international cricket as he made his international debut during the Border-Gavaskar series 2020-21. However, the incident in question happened during the home series against England that followed after. Sridhar wrote how he was about to complain about Gill to Ravi Shastri, the then-India head coach.

Sridhar wrote that ahead of the fourth Test against England, things between him and Gill boiled over the latter’s lack of fielding drills.

I told Shubman Gill that you are seen as the next big thing: R Sridhar

Sridhar wrote he was about to complain about Gill’s lack of intent while fielding to Ravi Shastri. However, the former India fielding coach decided against it and took the opening batter for Lunch.

“In Ahmedabad, during the last Test against England in March 2021, things came to a boil with Shubman. I contemplated having a word with Ravi about it but held my horses and took him out for lunch instead.”

“I told him, ‘You are considered the next big thing. People are looking at you from a leadership perspective. As a future leader, the one thing you should bring is inspiration. You should have a presence on the field and when you do something you must do it with intent. It is not just doing it for the sake of the team. Do it for yourself.’ Do it for your satisfaction, not because the captain wants you there. What you do there should be an inspiration for the whole team.”