Chandigarh, May 8:
Star India batter Virat Kohli paid tributes to former India Under-19 and Punjab pacer Amanpreet Singh Gill, who passed away at the age of 36 in Chandigarh.
Gill, who represented Punjab in domestic cricket and was part of India’s youth cricket set-up, died on Wednesday. The exact cause of his death is yet to be known.
Kohli, who shared the dressing room with Gill during their time in India’s Under-19 circuit, expressed grief over the former cricketer’s demise through a post on X shared on Wednesday.
“Shocked and saddened to hear about Amanpreet Gill’s passing. Sending prayers and strength to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace. Om Shanti,” Kohli wrote.
The cause of Gill’s death is not yet known.
Gill represented Punjab in six first-class matches between 2006 and 2008, taking 11 wickets during his domestic career. A right-arm medium pacer, he was regarded as a promising talent in Punjab cricket and also featured in India’s youth set-up during tours of England, Malaysia and Sri Lanka in 2007.
He played several youth one-day internationals and a three-day youth “Test” for India during that period, though he missed out on selection for the Kohli-led squad that went on to win the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.
Gill was also associated with the Indian Premier League and was a part of Punjab Kings, then known as Kings XI Punjab, during the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008.
In the later stages of his cricketing journey, Gill continued his association with Punjab cricket by serving as a member of Punjab’s senior selection committee.
As a mark of respect, players of Punjab Kings wore black armbands during their IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening.
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also condoled Gill’s death and shared an emotional message on X.
“Deeply saddened to hear about Amanpreet Singh Gill’s passing. Shared the dressing room in our early days, he was a quiet, hardworking cricketer who loved the game.
My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace. Om Shanti,” Yuvraj wrote on X.
The Punjab Cricket Association also expressed condolences over Gill’s demise through an official statement.