In all fairness, this piece should have been written yesterday on the occasion of Teacher’s Day. But that’s fine. Teacher’s Day can or should be celebrated all days of the year and it is perfectly okay to write this today. I was thinking what is the one special show that I could do, which would make Teacher’s Day special for RevSportz viewers. And that’s when Karsan Ghavri came to mind. Ghavri was the one who discovered Shubman Gill and it is a fantastic story. I had first written about it in my book Mission Domination (with Kushan Sarkar) published in 2021 and since then have shared the story a few times. But then to hear it from Karsan Ghavri is a very different feel.
Ghavri was travelling when I called him on September 4 and we agreed to speak on the morning of the 5th at 10 am. Overcoming a few internet issues, we finally managed to start the conversation around 10.15 am and Karu bhai was candid and proud. “I remember it was drizzling on that day and we had been in Punjab for a camp to unearth fast-bowling talent. With the rain around and the indoor coaching centre undergoing some work, the camp was slightly delayed. That’s when my assistant coach and I decided to take a walk. It was during the walk that we saw a match going on in one of the nearby grounds and the interesting thing was they hadn’t stopped the game for rain,” Karu bhai took trip down memory lane.
He continued: “A 12-year-old kid was batting and I was struck by his class and poise. You could see he was a special talent and I asked my assistant coach if he knew who this boy was. He did not and I was keen to find out. As the boy finished batting and was walking out, I saw a man standing there and hence asked him if he knew who the boy was. The man said the kid was his son and his name was Shubman Gill. I was delighted and asked him to bring the boy to my camp the next day. He did and the PCA was supportive of allowing him into the camp for older cricketers. That’s how the journey started for Shubman Gill.”
Interestingly, Gill and Karu bhai are in touch on a regular basis. “After every game I speak to him. In England also, I was in touch with him through messages. And he responds within 5 minutes. He has always been like that and nothing has changed.”
Does he see Gill as India’s all-format captain in the future? “He is a once-in-a-generation cricketer and is blessed with special talent. The way he bats, the way he can face up to fast bowling; his technique and temperament — there is no reason why he will not be successful as India’s all-format skipper,” said Ghavri.
The teacher’s affection for his student was evident. Respect; that’s what it is about. Affection and respect form bedrock of the relationship between Gill and his first teacher, Ghavri. Such relationships make sport what it is — a story of human aspiration and fulfilment.
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