Shubman Gill with Kirandeep Singh at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali. (Special Arrangement)

NEW DELHI: For Kirandeep Singh, the moment Shubman Gill noticed him was more than just another net session. It was the moment a youngster from Cholta Kalan, a village in Punjab’s Mohali district, began to believe that his cricketing dream could become a reality.Kirandeep was playing tennis-ball cricket when he first came to Gill’s attention in 2025. He had gone for practice in Mohali when he was told that Gill was around. Later, the two crossed paths at the Mullanpur International Cricket Stadium, where Kirandeep got the opportunity to bowl to the India star for the first time.Gill did not take long to spot something in the youngster.“He said, ‘You are bowling really well.’ I told him that I was playing tennis-ball cricket,” Kirandeep recalled.Gill’s response changed the direction of Kirandeep’s cricketing journey.“He then said, ‘You shouldn’t play tennis-ball cricket anymore. From now on, you have to play with a leather ball.’ He told me to stop playing tennis-ball cricket and said, ‘If you ever need anything, just let us know.’”That encouragement stayed with Kirandeep as he worked towards making the switch to leather-ball cricket and chasing a professional career.Now, the 20-year-old has another chance to turn that advice into a breakthrough. Fazilka Falcons bought him for Rs 20,000 in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 auction, giving the youngster an opportunity to play in the same team as Gill, who will captain the side.For Kirandeep, the journey from the government school ground in Cholta Kalan to the Sher-e-Punjab T20 is already a story of opportunity. The next chapter will be about proving that Gill’s eye for talent was right.The tournament is set to begin on August 30.