Not many have shown me their curious mind

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand hailed Shubman Gill, having spent time with him recently watching the Red Devils’ win over Tottenham Hotspur. Ferdinand, who played for United from 2002 to 2014, stated that the Indian cricketer was one of the few sports stars to have displayed their curious mind quickly.

Among the best young batters in the game, Gill has enjoyed a meteoric rise since his international debut in 2019. The right-hander starred in India’s stunning Test series victory over Australia in 2020-21, scoring a crucial 91 in Brisbane. He is one of the few Indian players to score a ton in all three formats and is serving as the national’s team Test and ODI skipper.

Uploading two pictures with Gill on his Instagram account, the 47-year-old recalled how curious the batter was about football as he kept asking questions and drew parellels to the world of cricket. He wrote:

“I meet a lot of sports stars on my travels but not many have shown me their curious mind, so quickly quite like Shubman. After sitting down and ordering our soft drinks I sensed curiosity through detailed questions about my football journey as a player, about leadership & relationships….all stemming from a huge desire (I felt) for Shubman to draw parallels where he could to apply to his world of cricket.”

Although the youngster has struggled recently for form, the star batter had an outstanding start to his Test captaincy last year. With India touring England for five Tests, the visitng captain finished the series with 754 runs as they drew the series 2-2 in stunning fashion.

---

“It was a refreshing moment given what he has achieved already at such a young age” – Rio Ferdinand on Shubman Gill

Ferdinand continued writing that the Punjab-born cricketer’s curiousity also exuded humility and that he was inspired to visit India again. He added:

“Now who knows what he takes from what I said or if anything I said resonates BUT my point is for someone so young to quickly set about probing, questioning, exploring different things with the only aim being – to better himself. It was a refreshing moment given what he has achieved already at such a young age in the cricket world yet he exudes humility on a level that you would normally associate with a guy on the come up with not much achieved.

“I’ve been inspired to come to India again….this time I will be there in the not too distant future…India watch this space!!!”

Gill’s next apperance in professional cricket is set to be in IPL 2026 for the Gujarat Titans.