India's seamless succession phenomenon of batting legacy

Mumbai: It was plenty obvious in the immediacy of Shubman Gill’s international debut that he would at least be in the conversation to become the heir apparent when Virat Kohli hangs up his boots. 

Many have since come and gone, but none have had the success or the consistency of the 24-year-old. In essence, Gill is what Kohli was in 2011. Actually, you could even make a case for Gill being better than Kohli at the same age. 

Then again, the question one must ask is if Gill would be here, in this polished avatar, if it wasn’t for Kohli. Also, would Kohli be who he is if he didn’t have Sachin Tendulkar for a goalpost, just as Sunil Gavaskar was for Tendulkar? 

You could follow the breadcrumbs and go as far as back you please, but the point isn’t about succession, it’s about inspiration. 

Because when a nine-year-old Gill was still mucking about in his canvas shoes with tennis balls and carved-out bats on the streets of Fazilka in Punjab, Kohli was facing the best bowlers of his generation, and occasionally dominating them. 

Gill, admittedly, was in awe of Kohli from the time he was young and modelled his game after him. It’s just a coincidence that he too won the Under-19 World Cup and subsequently marched into the Indian team. 

Gill’s not going anywhere for a while, and it’s only time before he is considered captaincy material. In that sense, Gill’s journey is nearly identical to Kohli’s in every which way, but it seems like the youngster manifested into being, rather than it happening to him. 

“Every time he comes on to the park, he does something special, and just how consistently he's been able to do it for the past 10-15 years is what is really inspiring,” Gill said after Kohli scored his 50th One-Day International century on Wednesday. "I think for me, it's not so much about the skill that he has, but it's more about the hunger when he goes there and the intensity with which he plays the game is what inspires me. To be able to have that consistently for as long as he's been doing it is what really inspires me.”

These words aren’t dissimilar to what Kohli had said when asked about Tendulkar’s impact on his career.

So, should Gill go about the remainder of his career replicating what Kohli has done for Indian cricket, he will become the face of the next generation, if he isn’t already.

As far as numbers go, Gill has scored 2267 runs from 43 ODIs since in debut in 2019 at an average of 62.97. Kohli, at 24, had played 90 games for 3886 runs at an average of 51.31.  

What Gill has been able to achieve while sitting in the shadows of giants is quite remarkable. But what’s truly staggering is how age-defying his maturity is. While it’s evident on the field, it’s especially transparent when you’re within close quarters of him at press conferences. 

He looks right into the interviewer’s eyes and bats his eyelids with the calm of a hermit. He doesn’t rush his answers and he doesn’t have exaggerated moments. He is simply present. His responses are short and come with all the necessary details, not a word more or less. 

This couldn’t be further from what Kohli’s persona was when he was 24. And yet, the drive is the same. The pull of greatness is felt by Gill just as Kohli still does. 

What Kohli has continued to do is remarkable, but what Gill is capable of becoming is exciting.

This is what was said of Kohli when Tendulkar was hoisted after winning the 2011 World Cup, and he more than delivered on the prophecy. It’s Gill’s turn now. 

Isn’t it beautiful when inspiration, just as life, comes full circle?!