Kolkata Knight Riders wicketkeeper-batter Sheldon Jackson might not have played international cricket yet but the Gujarat-born cricketer has already done a tremendous job in the domestic circuit. While discussing his personal journey during an interview, Jackson talked about the most influential person in his career.
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Jackson recalled that former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir picked him up from a Ranji Trophy team and got him into the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise.
Jackson further said that Gambhir is his “idol.”
“Gautam Gambhir literally made me who I am today. He picked me up from a Ranji Trophy team and he backed me back then when no one knew me. He got me into KKR and groomed. He is my idol. Even to date if I want to speak to him, he is the one man I always look up to,” Jackson pointed out during an interaction with Sportskeeda.
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On May 19, the 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter had posted a photo of himself along with two-time IPL-winning skipper Gambhir. And in the caption, Jackson had written, “Thank you so much bhaiyafor guiding me always Gautam Gambhir.”
Thank you so much bhaiya, for guiding me always 🙏❤️ @GautamGambhir pic.twitter.com/DbQ6dRmJzS
— Sheldon Jackson (@ShelJackson27) May 18, 2022
In the recently concluded IPL season, Gambhir served as the mentor of the IPL debutants Lucknow Super Giants.
Jackson also shared how former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh had mentored him last year. Both Harbhajan and Sheldon were a part of the Kolkata-based franchise.
“Last year I connected with Harbhajan Singh when he was with KKR and he mentored me. He never needed to do that, he is a legend. But when I was not scoring and was low, it was him that I spoke to and he effortlessly used to give his time. Because of such people, you want to give yourself another try. Me and my family owe a lot to them,” Jackson recalled.
In IPL, Jackson hasn’t had the success he would have hoped for and is yet to become a regular starter for KKR. So far, he has played nine matches in IPL and scored 61 runs.
In the domestic circuit, he has been a consistent performer.
In first-class cricket, Jackson amassed 5947 runs at a whopping average of 50.39. He has notched up 19 centuries and 31 half centuries in first-class cricket. In List A cricket, he has played 67 matches and bagged 2346 runs along with eight centuries and 12 half centuries.
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