'It's my trademark shot': Shubman Gill reveals why Carlos Alcaraz's drop shot reminds him of his own batting

NEW DELHI: India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has drawn an interesting comparison between tennis and cricket, saying Carlos Alcaraz's trademark drop shot reminds him of his own trademark cricket stroke — the short-arm jab.Fresh from his visit to Wimbledon 2026, Gill said both shots share the same qualities of being quick, deceptive and highly effective.

"The drop shot that Alcaraz plays, it reminds me of the short-arm jab in cricket. I play that shot too, it's my trademark shot. Quick, deceptive, and very effective," Gill said while speaking on JioStar.Gill made the remarks after attending the Wimbledon Championships as a guest in the prestigious Royal Box. The 26-year-old became only the fourth Indian cricket captain to receive the honour, joining Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.His visit also created a buzz on social media after a video of him chatting with Roger Federer went viral. Gill was also spotted watching the action alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Anjali Tendulkar.Gill also explained why Roger Federer remains his favourite tennis player, saying he relates to the effort behind the Swiss legend's seemingly effortless style."Roger Federer is my favourite. Growing up, a lot of people said he made everything look effortless.

But when you play a sport yourself, you realise how much work goes into making it look that way. People have called me effortless in cricket too, but I know the effort behind it. The elegance and grace Federer played with was special, and that is why I admire him."When asked to predict this year's Wimbledon champion, Gill backed world No. 1 Jannik Sinner."I'm backing Sinner to win Wimbledon. He is a fantastic player, and he carries himself really well both on and off the court."

Wants to partner Alcaraz in doubles

Gill also revealed that if he ever got the chance to play tennis doubles, Carlos Alcaraz would be his preferred partner."Carlos Alcaraz is the one who I would to play doubles with. He looks like someone who really enjoys himself on the court. It would be fun to play alongside him. I don't know the details, but I think I can hold my own in tennis, so that would be a fun match."

Dream dinner with sporting legends

Asked to name four sporting icons he would love to have dinner with, Gill picked two tennis legends and two cricket greats."Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and then the cricketers would be Sir Viv Richards and Sachin sir. Those are the four legends I would love to sit with and have dinner with them. I think the conversations would be incredible. They have all dominated their eras and have so much to share about their journeys. It would be a dream dinner."Gill's Wimbledon appearance comes just days before he leads India in the three-match ODI series against England, beginning on July 14 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.