Meet Shubman Gill, from boy next door to cricket's new poster boy

From bat to billboard, from Tendulkar to Kohli, and now over to Gill

In 2015, the U-16 team from Punjab arrived at Dharamsala’s scenic Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium for an exposure trip. Amid the motley bunch of youngsters was a wiry 15-year-old Shubman Gill. Calm, watchful, and armed with a willow, he was a picture of concentration at the nets.

 

Even then, his gorgeous cover drives and silken flicks made heads turn. 

 

Former HPCA secretary Sumit Sharma made a bold assertion: “Shubman ki batting dekhoge toh Virat Kohli ko bhool jaoge. (Watch Shubman bat, and you will forget Virat Kohli).”

 

A decade later, Sharma’s prophecy no longer seems outlandish. 

 

Gill, appointed Team India’s captain for the high-profile series in England, stamped his authority with a sensational 430-run haul, including a career-best score of 269, in the just-concluded Edgbaston Test. In the process, he became the youngest captain to notch up a double century in Test cricket.

 

Gill’s strokeplay, a blend of poise and poetry, lit up Birmingham, drawing awe from fans and pundits. They purred what once seemed sacrilege: “Gill’s stupendous batting display made us forget about Kohli.”

 

Gill’s record tally would be instrumental in India drawing the five-match series 1-1. 

 

From a starry-eyed teenager in Dharamsala to leading from the front in Birmingham, life has indeed come full circle for the 25-year-old from Punjab. And he has only just started.

 

Understandably, Gill’s exploits in England have got brands excited.

 

“I think he (Gill) is poised to become the most valued sports personality in the country,” says Sumit Sinha, founder and managing partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting. “I’m saying this purely based on his performance in England as India’s Test captain. He is young and photogenic. All that definitely helps in building an aura and brand appeal. Sky’s the limit.”   

Brand experts believe that the Indian Test captain is the ideal contender to emulate the brand value once commanded by his illustrious predecessors – Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli. Gill recently signed a three-year bat sponsorship deal with MRF for Rs 35 crore.

 

Sandeep Goyal, managing director at Rediffusion, reckons that Gill’s swashbuckling batting style, with his captaincy, has given him gravitas that makes him an allure for brands.

 

“He has also remained controversy-free. He has a calm demeanour, and does not throw tantrums like Kohli. All these attributes make a difference,” Goyal explained.

 

At present, Gill is the face of Nike, Coca-Cola, MRF, Tata Capital, Bajaj Allianz, Oakley, and Engage among others.

 

From charging Rs 1 crore for an endorsement two years ago, Gill’s fees has soared to Rs 7 crore after being elevated as captain, says Goyal. “His endorsement earnings have jumped from Rs 45 crore last year to Rs 65 crore at present,” he adds.

 

“India is a nation of cricket, and Gill is most certainly its best brand ambassador today,” says Harish Bijnoor, founder, Harish Bijnoor Consults Inc. He represents success in terms of his ability on the pitch and also possesses the qualities of the boy next door, Bijoor adds. 

  “He is young and that adds allure to the realm of brand endorsements because a galaxy of older stars has hogged the limelight for far too long. Gill is the rising new star,” he says.

  The ongoing England tour heralds a tectonic shift in Indian cricket. 

  In 2013, Tendulkar, the game’s ultimate icon, passed on the mantle to Kohli, who redefined success, aggression, fitness and marketability.  

With Kohli stepping away from the game’s longest format, the spotlight has shifted to Gill. His performance in Birmingham signals not just the continuation of a cricketing lineage, but an uptick in Indian cricket’s new poster boy’s commercial footprint.