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From Shubman Gill to Gukesh D, these are India's new gamechangers
As a country known for treating cricket as a religion, we have taken giant strides in other sports, as well. From ending an Olympic dry spell in shooting to boasting the world’s youngest chess grandmaster and a maiden entry into dressage, the Indian sporting ecosystem is enjoying a great innings. HELLO! gives you a peek into the lives of these young achievers who are adding to the country’s laurels.
1. Shubman Gill
Cricketer, vice-captain of Team India in ODI and the current No.1 batsman in ODI rankings.
TALKING POINT
The youngest player to hit a double century in ODIs, the 25-year-old is one of India’s most promising batters. His rise from a small village in Punjab to international cricket is the stuff dreams are made of. Born to a farmer, Lakhwinder Singh, who aspired to become a cricketer himself, Shubman’s early training in cricket began with his father, when they trained together by bowling 500 to 700 balls every day. The family moved from Fazilka to Mohali for Shubman to have better access to cricket training facilities, and there was no looking back then.
In 2014, Shubman scored 351 in Punjab’s InterDistrict U16 tournament, racking up an opening stand of 587 with Nirmal Singh. He then went on to strike a double century in his U16 debut for Punjab at the 2016 Vijay Merchant Trophy. His claim to national fame began with his threeyear stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2018 to 2021, where he performed well beyond expectations, before joining the Gujarat Titans.
The sporting fraternity is keen to see more of Shubman leading the Gujarat Titans in the IPL and a lot more explosive batting in the season.
INFLUENCE QUOTIENT
The youngest player in the world to reach 25 half-centuries in IPL history, Shubman is considered one of the most consistent and fearless batters in the current Indian squad.
2. Surya Kumar Yadav
One of India’s most smashing batsman.
AIMING FOR THE ‘SKY’
“As someone who grew up playing on the maidans of the city and hearing the many stories associated with them, getting to play for Mumbai was a huge deal. My IPL journey began with the Mumbai Indians, followed by an IPL title in 2014 with the Kolkata Knight Riders. The biggest turning point for me was when I was back with team Mumbai in 2018. This was when I consciously changed my batting style, after a lot of introspection and self-analysis, and scored 500 runs in a season for the first time. I also got to be the opening batsman, a role I had never played before in my senior career.”
THE DEFINING MOMENT
“The one moment I keep going back to is the catch I took in the final of the T20 World Cup—it helped us win the tournament after 17 long years. We had come so close so many times in the previous years. So to finally get our hands on the trophy and make an impact in the tournament was truly special.”
ENJOYING THE SPICE IN VARIETY
“I love that cricket is played in three different formats, with each offering its own unique set of challenges. Growing up in Mumbai, with its history and legacy, test cricket was always the ultimate format for me. T20s, though, are as challenging as any other format as they are intense all through, and you can’t afford to take your eye off the ball, whether you’re batting, bowling or fielding, even for a moment. It’s such a dynamic format that’s ever evolving and keeps challenging you to come up with new ideas and solutions as a batter and leader; that’s something I really enjoy as it gives me a lot of scope to be innovative and try out-of-the-box moves. That’s why I continue to play all three formats. It helps me immensely and has consistently helped me become a better player.”
3. Gukesh D
Reigning World Chess Champion and the youngest grandmaster to claim the title.
TALKING POINT
Much like the game he excels in, Gukesh always had a clear vision—to become the World Chess Champion. Born in Chennai to an ENT surgeon father and a microbiologist mother, Gukesh showed promise early on. He was all of seven when, along with his father, Gukesh witnessed a historic game between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen in Chennai. And so began his dream of being inside that glass box one day and playing for his country. The young lad began training for chess, and in 2015, he won his first game in the Under-9 section of the Asian School Chess Championships. That triumph was followed by a World Youth Chess Championships in 2018 in the Under-12 category.
QUOTABLE QUOTE
“My mother still says: ‘I’ll be very happy to hear that you’re a great chess player, but I’d be happier to hear that you’re an even greater person.’ That’s been something I really value a lot. I know I have a lot of things to work on, but I try my best to be a better chess player and a better person.” (Source: FIDE - International Chess Federation)
INFLUENCE QUOTIENT
At just 18, Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest ever to win the World Chess Championship, creating history.
4. Manu Bhaker
Ace shooter and Olympic medallist
TALKING POINT
Manu’s sporting career began with games like tennis, skating, boxing and martial arts, before she picked up her first pistol. At just 14, she casually tried her hand at shooting, found it interesting and requested her dad to get her a sports shooting pistol. Little did father Ram Kishan Bhaker know it’d change the course of their life.
Manu was 15 when she shot a record score of 242.3 and beat World No. 1 champion Heena Sidhu’s mark to win the 10m air pistol final at the 2017 National Shooting Championship. She went on to create history at the 2018 Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she bagged gold in the 10m air pistol event, becoming the first Indian shooter and first female athlete from the country to win the top medal at the Youth Olympics.
Manu’s historic win at the 2024 Paris Olympics was a grand showcase of the young shooter’s resilience and perseverance, as it was her resurrection after the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, when her pistol developed a snag and she had to return home without qualifying for the finals.
The first athlete from independent India to win two medals at a single Olympic Game, the shooter was conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sporting honour, earlier this year.
INFLUENCE QUOTIENT
The shooter is the only Indian to have ever won two medals at the Olympic Games
This piece originally appeared in the April-May’25 print edition of HELLO! India
