Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the young Indian cricketer who has recently captured the attention of the cricketing world, had the opportunity to witness his "role model," Shubman Gill, perform a masterful innings at Edgbaston, thanks to arrangements made by VVS Laxman. Suryavanshi, currently in England for the U19 series, watched Gill's record-breaking double century on the second day of the second Test between India and England.
Gill's spectacular innings of 269 runs off 387 balls, including 30 fours and 3 sixes, not only propelled India to a commanding position in the Test match but also provided a valuable lesson for the young cricketers. The India U19 team, present at Edgbaston, was ecstatic, applauding and cheering Gill's achievement.
Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the India U19 coach, revealed that VVS Laxman, the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), was instrumental in making the trip possible. Laxman believed that this experience would offer great exposure to the young team, allowing them to learn how to construct an innings in a Test match.
"VVS Laxman was instrumental in arranging this. He was the one who actually said that it would be a good thing to go and watch this game. It's definitely a special occasion for any upcoming cricketer to be at a Test venue," Kanitkar said in a video posted by BCCI. He added, "The main thing I want to take back from what we have watched so far is that not every ball has to be hit for a four and six. You can still be extremely effective, score runs at a good rate, like Shubman has done. When we go back, there will be a session on what they learnt from it".
Suryavanshi has been making waves himself with his recent performances. In a recent U19 ODI against England, he scored a blistering 86 off just 31 balls, which included 6 fours and 9 sixes. He also had impressive scores of 48 and 45 in the previous two matches of the series. His explosive batting approach had previously earned him an IPL contract with Rajasthan Royals. In IPL 2025, he smashed a century off 38 deliveries against Gujarat Titans.
Gill's innings at Edgbaston was record-breaking. His 269 is the highest Test score by an Indian captain, surpassing Virat Kohli's previous best of 254. It is also the highest score by an Indian batter in England and outside Asia. Gill is also the first Asian captain to score a double century in SENA countries. He is now one of only seven players to hit centuries in each of their first two Tests as captain.
England's assistant coach, Jeetan Patel, acknowledged Gill's masterclass, saying, "Credit to Shubman for the way he's batted over two days, it was a masterclass in how to bat on a good wicket. The guys threw everything at them, and rightly so, but they're very tired for their efforts". Ravindra Jadeja also praised Gill's performance, saying, "You didn't see how much Shubman Gill has grown. Shubman scored 269 runs. He was unlucky because it never looked like he was going to get out today".
Gill himself reflected on his innings, saying, "I worked on a few things before the series. Looking at the results, they are working for me". He also emphasized the importance of learning from past mistakes and focusing on staying at the crease.
The presence of the India U19 team at Edgbaston, facilitated by VVS Laxman, highlights the importance of mentorship and learning from role models in cricket. Vaibhav Suryavanshi's opportunity to witness Shubman Gill's exceptional innings firsthand will undoubtedly inspire him as he continues his journey in the sport.
