Team India is gearing up for the Asia Cup 2025, set to begin its campaign against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 10. At the top of the order, India may rely on two close friends and childhood teammates—Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. Once known for their playful fights over a bat, the duo is now united to provide India with solid starts on the international stage.

This unique pairing was highlighted by Arun Bedi, former Punjab cricketer and the coach who first nurtured their talent. He revealed in an interview that while Gill has always been calm (“Shant”), Abhishek carried a mischievous streak (“Shaitan”)—yet together, they complement each other perfectly.

How the Bond Began
Bedi recalled seeing both players from their Under-14 days, when they played for Punjab in the Dhruv Pandav Trophy. Back then, Abhishek captained the side, while Gill served as his deputy. He remembered a league match in Una (Himachal Pradesh), where Punjab looked set to lose against Himachal. But Abhishek’s fiery spell and Gill’s sharp fielding turned the game on its head, before the duo chased down 90 runs in just 7 overs.

“That was the day I knew these boys were special. I even called their fathers—Lakhwinder Gill and Rajkumar Sharma—to say they will play for India one day,” Bedi said.

Childhood Fights Over a Bat
Their chemistry wasn’t without sparks. Abhishek has often admitted his love for Gill’s bat, famously scoring his maiden T20I century in Zimbabwe (2024) with it. Gill, however, revealed they once fought during the Under-16 days when Abhishek was closing in on a big score using his match bat. “I didn’t want it to break, so I asked him to return it. We argued a little, but eventually, I always gave him the bat—he scored a lot of runs with it,” Gill laughed.

Superstition and Pizza Ritual
The bond extended beyond cricket too. Both were roommates during age-group tournaments and carried a quirky superstition—eating pizza before every match. Gill said, “Since Under-16s and even during Under-19s, our mantra was simple: eat pizza, score runs.”

Like Ice and Fire
Coach Arun Bedi summed it up best: “Shubman is calm, Abhishek is fiery. One is ice, the other fire. Together, they understand each other’s game so well—it doesn’t surprise me to see them opening for India today.”

As India takes the field in the Asia Cup, fans will be hoping that the ‘Shant and Shaitan’ partnership delivers the same magic at the highest level.