India’s Test captain Shubman Gill opened up about his personal life during a recent interaction with Star Sports India. The 26-year-old batter disclosed his nickname, friendship inside the team, and cricketing inspirations. Gill said, “My nickname is ‘kaka’, which in Punjabi means baby. He further added: “My cricketing idol when I was growing up was Sachin (Tendulkar) Sir and my current favorite cricketer is Virat (Kohli). My best friend in the team is Ishan Kishan. One thing that I cannot live without is my family. I wear the same set of clothing that I wore in the first match throughout the series.” The stylish opener, who celebrated his 26th birthday recently, has quickly grown into a central figure in Indian cricket. He was named the ODI vice-captain in 2024 and is seen as Rohit Sharma’s successor across formats. The BCCI later confirmed him as the permanent Test skipper and the T20I deputy for Suryakumar Yadav in the 2025 Asia Cup. Read also: Hardik Pandya on Verge of Rare T20I Record in Asia Cup 2025 Idols, Rituals, and On-Field Battles Gill also explained the significance of his jersey number. He revealed “When I played the U19 World Cup, I wanted to take the number 7, but it was not available, so I took two sevens." The Punjab-born batter enjoys tough contests in training. Gill said, “One battle I enjoy the most is facing Bumrah in the nets. He is always on you and never gives you an edge. He always wants to intimidate you and show you that he is the best, and I love that about him." Gill will next lead India in the Asia Cup 2025, beginning September 10 against the UAE. India’s group also includes Pakistan and Oman, with a Super-Four berth awaiting the top two finishers.