Gill led with maturity despite being one of the youngest captains to take charge in a high-stakes series. Under his leadership in the final Test, India defended a target of 374 runs, showcasing grit, smart bowling rotations, and disciplined field placements.

It was IPL time, he was training on what seemed like a ‘dicey’ pitch – some balls flying towards his face, others darting at his ribs. Shubman would stop training, dump the white balls back, ask for a shiny red new one.