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As India have begun their campaign in Asia Cup 2025 with a dominating win against UAE, vice-captain Shubman Gill has given fans a peek into his personal favourites and cricketing inspirations. In a recent interaction shared by Apple Music on YouTube, Gill opened up about his favourite ground in England, his go-to TV show, and the two legends he looks up to.
Shubman Gill reveals his favourite cricket ground
Gill, who recently captained India in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, named Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham as his favourite venue. The 24-year-old’s choice wasn’t random—he had scripted one of his career-best performances at the ground earlier this year. Leading India for the first time in Tests, Gill guided his side to a 2-2 series draw while also finishing as the top run-getter with 754 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 75.40, including four centuries.
Speaking about his pick, Gill said, “I would say Birmingham now because my highest Test score is there. So, Birmingham.”
Gill’s favourite TV show?
Moving away from cricket, Gill was also quizzed about his entertainment preferences. When asked about his favourite television series, the young batting star didn’t hesitate before naming Peaky Blinders, the globally acclaimed British crime drama set in Birmingham during the post-World War I era.
“My all-time favourite TV show is Peaky Blinders,” Gill revealed with a smile. The choice has resonated with many of his fans, who often associate Gill’s calm yet steely personality with the strong-willed characters from the series.
Two idols who shaped Gill’s journey
Perhaps the most insightful part of the interaction came when Gill was asked about his cricketing idols. The Punjab-born batter mentioned two iconic names that have shaped his career, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
“I have had two idols. The first one was Sachin. He was my dad’s favourite, and I got into cricket because of him. He retired in 2013. Around 2011, 2012, 2013 was actually when I started to have real knowledge about cricket: like how the game works, more than just skill, like mental and tactical,” Gill explained.
He further added that what stood out to him most was Kohli’s passion for the game and his hunger to succeed. According to Gill, skills and techniques in cricket can be learned through practice and training, but the inner hunger and drive to perform at the highest level are natural qualities — something you either have or you don’t. Gill feels that Kohli had this hunger in abundance, and it deeply motivated him.
“I loved watching Virat bhai, Virat Kohli, how he used to go about his business and just the sheer passion that he had for the game and the real hunger. Because passion and hunger is one thing; you can learn all the skills, all the technique, and all of that, but hunger is something that you can’t learn. Either you have it in you, or you don’t. And it was something that he had so much, and it really inspired me,” revealed Gill.
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