Shubman Gill gets vote of confidence from Gavaskar amid reports of Test captaincy: ‘Hallmark of a true leader’
Gavaskar was highly impressed with Shubman Gill's leadership and pointed out that the young leader takes joy in his teammates getting the recognition.
Shubman Gill got a big thumbs up for his captaincy in IPL 2025 from batting great Sunil Gavaskar after Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals to qualify for the playoffs. Shubman has been impressive with his captaincy this season as the Titans are currently sitting at the top of the points table with 18 points in 12 matches so far. The talented young batter is also in reckoning to become the next India Test captain after Rohit Sharma recently bid adieu to the red-ball format. The speculations are rife that Shubman is all set to take over the charge with the Test series against England next month.
Shubman is leading the Titans for the second year, and after an underwhelming last season, he has shown great signs as captain this year and is leading the team from the front. He has scored 601 runs in 12 matches so far and formed a formidable opening pair with current orange-cap holder Sai Sudharsan.
Gavaskar was highly impressed with Gill's leadership and pointed out that the young leader takes joy in his teammates getting the recognition.
"That's the hallmark of a true leader. A true leader never seeks the spotlight. He takes joy in his teammates receiving the recognition. That's what Shubman has done brilliantly this season," Gavaskar told JioStar after Gujarat sealed a place in the IPL 2025 playoffs.
While chasing a 200-run target in Delhi, openers Sudharsan (108) and Shubman (93*) led the 2022 champions to a historic win in just 19 overs — the highest successful IPL chase without losing a wicket.
Gavaskar praised Shubman for supporting Sudharsan from the other end when Kuldeep Yadav was causing trouble in the middle.
"From the non-striker's end, he was constantly encouraging him. When Kuldeep was bowling, there were subtle signals," Gavaskar explained.
‘You could see Shubman making small movements…’
Shubman and Sudharsan's pair is turning out to be one of the most consistent opening duos in league history, and the way they complement each other with calmness has stood out.
Gavaskar credited Shubman for assisting Sudharsan from the other end with his inputs and boosting his confidence with chats in the middle.
"There was a phase when Sai found it tough to pick him initially. You could see Shubman making small movements with his gloves, little cues, essentially telling him, 'Don't stop playing your shots - just be a tad more cautious with this bowler. That's what impressed me most about Shubman, aside from the brilliant shots and those massive sixes. I think he told Sai, 'You go for the sixes, I'll stick to the boundaries,'" he added.
