18-year-old Shubman Gill it was who set IPL Auction Day 1 on fire. Gill, who is an integral part of the U-19 team which is playing the ongoing U-19 World Cup, is the latest teen to become a crorepati. Already he has scores of 63, 90* and 86 in the U-19 World Cup. That perhaps prompted franchises to take note of him and eventually rope him in a team. The Firozpur-born made his List A debut for Punjab in the 2016–17 Vijay Hazare Trophy on 25 February 2017.
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In the same year, he made his first-class debut for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy on 17 November 2017. Later that same month, in his second first-class match, he scored his maiden century, batting for Punjab against Services. Gill had a base price of Rs 20 lakh and sold for a whopping Rs 1.8 cr. It is almost 9 times of what his base price was. Apart from Kolkata Knight Riders, even Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians were also bidding for him. KKR joined the bidding at Rs 90 lakh and got the Punjabi onboard.
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U-19 batsmen, Shubman Gill is the next player into the fray. We enter the bidding at INR 90 lacs. #KnightsOf2018 #KorboLorboJeetbo #IPLAuction
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) January 27, 2018
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Gill has a reputation for playing the big shots and also has a big appetite for big scores. KKR have gone for him looking at his good technique and keeping the slow Eden Garden wicket on the mind. Gill went for a larger amount than his captain Prithvi Shaw, who went to Delhi Daredevils for Rs 1.2 cr.
