Bollywood actress and Bigg Boss 13 sensation Shehnaaz Gill playfully addressed longstanding fan speculation about a familial link to Indian cricket prodigy Shubman Gill during a recent appearance on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast, humorously dubbing him her "brother" due to their shared Punjabi roots and common surname, though no actual relation exists between the two. The 29-year-old Punjab native, who skyrocketed to fame with her endearing persona on the reality show before transitioning to music videos like "Kaavaal Ni" and a Bollywood debut opposite Salman Khan in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023), leaned into the rumours with characteristic wit: "He must be my brother. He's probably from that side, maybe from our side, from the Amritsar side. So when he trends, my trend also runs in between. It's true; there must be some connection of brother and sister." She added, "I asked myself, and this is the answer I got—that we belong to the same side. So yes, there must be some connection. That's good. He's playing well. Yes, and he's very lovely (bohot pyara hai)," turning a viral query into light-hearted banter that has since amassed millions of views across social media.

The confusion stems from the ubiquity of the "Gill" surname in Punjab, where both hail from—Shehnaaz from Beas near Amritsar, and Shubman from Fazilka district—but public records and family disclosures confirm they share no blood ties. Shubman's actual sibling is his elder sister, Shahneel Gill, a 28-year-old social media influencer and corporate success specialist with over 300,000 Instagram followers, who frequently cheers him from stadium stands and shares sibling banter online, including leg-pulling posts on his birthdays. Shahneel, born in 1997 to farmer Lakhwinder Singh and homemaker Keart Gill, moved with the family to Mohali in 2007 to support Shubman's cricketing dreams, often crediting her for emotional backing during his formative years. Shehnaaz's quip, while endearing, aligns with her self-deprecating humour that won her the "Punjab Ki Katrina" moniker, but it also spotlights how celebrity surnames fuel endless online myths in India's pop culture crossroads of cricket and cinema.

Shehnaaz's revelation comes amid her career resurgence, including a Punjabi film, Chal Mera Putt 4, slated for 2026, and rumoured cameos in Bollywood sequels, while Shubman, 26, prepares for his Test captaincy debut against South Africa in the two-match series starting November 14 at Eden Gardens. Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly showered praise on the young opener, hailing him as "a fantastic batter and a perfect captain" after his stellar England series earlier in 2025, where he amassed 754 runs—including four centuries—to draw 2-2 and eclipse Sunil Gavaskar's 1978-79 record of 732 runs as an Indian captain. "He captained India remarkably in England. As a young boy, going to England and captaining there is not easy... Gill is an all-format player and a fantastic talent. I wish him all the best," Ganguly said, underscoring Shubman's poise at 26 as he eyes World Test Championship consolidation.

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This sibling mix-up, while baseless, underscores the cultural cachet of Punjab's diaspora in entertainment and sports, where shared heritage often blurs lines for fans. As Shehnaaz's podcast clip trends with #GillSiblings, it humanises two icons from the same soil—her fostering joy through vulnerability, him through virtuoso knocks—reminding audiences that true connections transcend surnames, rooted instead in regional pride and individual triumphs.

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