Dubai: For years, Ram Vilas Shah, a migrant labourer from Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, sold fruit juice on his rehri (cart) outside Gate No. 1 of the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. His daily customers were a young batter by the name of Shubman Gill and his father Lakhwinder, who would stop for a glass of mosambi juice. Ram Vilas’s son, Avinash Kumar, used to be a fast bowler and trained at the ground behind the Mohali Stadium.One day in 2014, Lakhwinder spotted Avinash near the cart and asked about his father. “I told him, ‘paaji, I’ve quit cricket. I am working in a photo studio. Today I am here because my father is not well,'” Avinash recalls in a conversation with TimesofIndia.com.
“I played cricket after my father requested one of the PCA coaches. I am two years senior to Shubman. I was a fast bowler but I quit cricket because of our family’s financial constraints,” he explains.A few months later, Lakhwinder spotted Avinash at his father’s cart again and blasted him for quitting cricket.
India Test captain and batter Shubman Gill (R) with Avinash Kumar. They’ve been together since Gill’s early days in Punjab cricket. (Image: Special Arrangement)
“Lakhwinder paaji was angry. He told me cricket can change your family’s life. He was unhappy with my decision to walk away from cricket, and was even more miffed after I told him that I work in a photo studio,” he says with a laugh now.A week later, Lakhwinder showed Avinash a video of a side-arm thrower and asked him to start practising and take the profession seriously.“I saw the video. Lakhwinder paaji helped me get one side-arm and I started mastering it,” he says.From then on, Avinash’s friendship with Shubman Gill grew stronger.“I knew him from the academy. But now I became his personal side-arm thrower. Woh din tha aur aaj ka din hai. Hum ikkathe hai (There was that day and it is now. We’ve been together),” Avinash proudly says.ALSO READ | ‘Shaant and shaitaan’ – The story of Shubman Gill and Abhishek SharmaAvinash would earn Rs 150–200 per day but he personally never took a penny from Shubman or his father.“I never used to take money from Shubman’s father. He has been my guiding light. He gave me money during festivals like Holi and Diwali. He took me to the hospital and also helped my family whenever we were in need. I will always be grateful,” he says.Avinash recalls the early changes in Shubman’s batting.“Lakhwinder paaji used to get angry whenever Shubman played a lofted shot. Shubman would only hit in the V. It was only after the U-19 World Cup, followed by the IPL, that he started working on range-hitting,” he says.“It surprised me because he used to say, ‘what’s the point of getting out trying to score two extra runs? I can hit boundaries without taking risks.’ But he realised that in T20, he needed to work on six-hitting. He started working on it and never looked back,” he says.
Avinash also explains how meticulous Gill’s preparations are.“He comes to every net session with a purpose. Even if he bats for three hours, he has the same intent. After the nets, he watches his videos, checks the areas where he’s troubled, watches his dismissals, and the next day he follows the same routine again,” he adds.In 2019, Avinash became a side-arm thrower for the Punjab Ranji team and was instantly liked by senior pros like Mandeep Singh and Gurkeerat Mann, while bonding with youngsters like Shubman, Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, and Anmolpreet Singh.
Gujarat Titans’ captain Shubman Gill during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 T20 cricket match. (PTI)
In 2024, in jest he told Shubman, ‘Yaar ab tu captain ban gaya, mujhe bhi IPL le chal’ (You have become captain of Gujarat Titans, take me with you).Shubman’s assuring words gave him hope. “He told me I didn’t need to worry.”Earlier this year, Avinash was playing with his newborn son in Chandigarh when he received a call from Shubman.“Shubman told me to pack my bags as I would soon get a call from the Gujarat Titans management. He has gifted me spikes, clothes, mobiles — but this was something else. It was precious,” he recalls.Even before IPL 2025, Shubman’s eyes were set on the five-Test series against England. With Khushpreet Singh Aulakh, his mentor and childhood friend, around, he also needed someone who could challenge him with the red ball. Avinash had a reputation for troubling Punjab batters during Ranji seasons.
Shubman Gill (BCCI Photo)
“It was KP paaji’s idea. He told Shubman to start practising with the red ball during the IPL itself. KP paaji has invested his entire life in Shubman. He has worked tirelessly on him.“When I joined the Titans, Shubman instructed me to challenge him at the nets with the red ball. I started doing it. With the red ball, I make life difficult for batters. With the white ball, throwers give batters confidence to hit, but with the red ball, it’s a battle,” Avinash says.Avinash bent his back in the nets, and it helped Shubman amass 754 runs in England.Avinash doesn’t want credit. “It is all his hard work. I’ve given him so many bruises but he never complained. His father first, and then KP paaji—these two have made Shubman what he is today,” he says.“Maine kya kiya bas usko knocking karwayi (I only helped him with the knocking). For what his father has done for me and my family, I will always be indebted,” he says.At his father’s cart, meeting Shubman was a blessing for Avinash. He now considers the Gills his own family. At that cart, Shubman found not just juice—but a lifelong friend and confidante.