Shubman Gill New high scorer

In the month since his first Test century, the 23-year-old has made waves with his high run tallies, set a new world record. He’s unruffled by all the attention. My focus remains learning from each game... 1 do miss going out unnoticed,’ Gill says

- Rutvick Mehta

Shubman Gill is as easy-going a person as he is a silky smooth batter. It shows in the posts on cricket and style that make up his Instagram feed. One of his earliest, in 2014, was a couple of mirror selfies taken in a hoodie and a cap worn backwards, with a caption about how he is "not special... just a limited edition". A post from last month shows a relaxed Gill reclining in a hotel room, flashing a grin, with the caption: "Own lane, own pace, own race." S Here's a 23-year-old, billed for a long time as Indian cricket's next big sensation and rapidly erasing that "next", who is comfortable in his game and also in his skin. He's a boy from Punjab with a job to do, and he knows just what it is.

But if he's comfortable, he's far from content. In Indore, after the final ODI against New Zealand last month, Gill engaged Rahul Dravid, the current head coach for the national team, in a chat for the Indian cricket board's web platform, bcci.tv.

Dravid started the conversation with an anecdote about Gill's father, Lakhwinder Singh, a wealthy farmer from Fazilka district. The senior Gill had been talking about his son's trend of scoring 50s and 60s, richly pleasing but not eye-popping enough.

Dravid chuckled and went on to narrate the story of how Singh Sr said: "Shubman, are you only going to show us drizzles or some rain and thunderstorms too?" Your father will be glad, Dravid added.

"Over the last month or so, you've really made it rain." Gill smiled, but responded with less enthusiasm. "I don't think he'll be too happy about this game. I should have carried on." This was after he scored 112; a double century a couple of ODIs before it; and 116 against Sri Lanka in a match before that. All in the few months since his first Test century, against Bangladesh, in December.

So, comfortable, but far from content.