Due to the disagreement, Gill and his father were forced out of the academy, which operated public sessions from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. To continue his training, the young batter had to wake up at 3:00 a.m. for practice.
“During one of the initial phases, my dad kind of had a falling out with the academy coach… So my dad used to wake me up at 3:00 to practice from 3:00 to 6:00 before he came. I used to wake up at 3:00, practice from 3:00 to 6:00, then go to school. Then I’d take a half day when the coach would finish his academy around 11:00 a.m., and then I’d come back and practice from 11 till 3, and then he’d come back again,” Gill said.
Reflecting on those early struggles, the Punjab batter added:
“We did this for a couple of years. I don’t have any bad memories, but this phase was a little challenging, waking up at 3:00 every day. Sometimes, as a kid, you just don’t want to wake up. But I’m very grateful that my dad kept me pushing through it.”
Gill, currently India’s vice-captain in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, will return to action on Sunday, September 14, to face arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai.
Leading India to a Thrilling 2-2 Draw in England
In the same podcast, Gill reflected on one of the proudest moments of his career—leading India in the five-match Test series against England, which ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
“Before the series, when I was named captain, there were a lot of questions around me and the kind of series we would have as a team. I think this whole series I would put together as one moment, and this is what’s been the most satisfying series for me,” he said.
The right-handed batter finished the series as India’s leading run-scorer, amassing 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including four centuries, cementing his reputation as one of the team’s most dependable performers.
