Shubman Gill is just about digging his teeth into first-class cricket. Having got the taste of ODI cricket after some match-winning knocks in Indian Premier League, the 20-year-old is promising more.
But on Friday, Gill appeared to have bitten more than he could chew. He became the centre of some unwanted attention after a heated altercation with an umpire on the first day of the Punjab-Delhi Ranji Trophy match Mohali.
On being given ‘out’, two ODI-old Gill questioned umpire Mohammad Rafi’s decision. When the intimidated umpire, in consultation with his colleague Pashchim Pathak, overturned the decision, Delhi’s skipper Dhruv Shorey almost led the team out of the field in protest.
On a day when Punjab reached 266 for eight at stumps, the 12-minute stoppage triggered by the incident involving Gill remained the talking point.
It all happened in the 10th over when Punjab was 34 for one and Gill on 10. Adjudged caught-behind off medium pacer Subodh Bhati, a surprised and instantly-animated Gill confronted the umpire, with his conduct being far from gentlemanly.
When Rafi changed his decision, the drama continued with Delhi players alleging abusive language by Gill, questioned the umpire and almost left the field. The match-referee P. Ranganathan intervened and eventually better prevailed with the match resuming. Gill, however, did not last long and was eventually out for 23.
It remains to be seen whether Ranganathan cracks the whip.
