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Shubman Gill’s first reaction as India’s new Test captain vows to step into Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s shoes
Shubman Gill vows to follow Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's ‘blueprint’ after being named India's Test captain.
Shubman Gill vowed to follow the blueprint of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin in Test cricket after being named as India's captain in the longest format of the game. The 25-year-old was confirmed as India's Test skipper on Saturday when the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, announced an 18-member squad for the upcoming five-Test series against England, beginning June 20.
Gill has played 32 Tests so far, scoring 1893 runs at an average of 35.05. The right-hander is yet to prove himself in the overseas conditions and a trial by fire awaits when he lands in the UK to take on Ben Stokes and co.
Gill has played 3 Tests in England, registering just 88 runs at a below-par average of 14.66. Out of these three matches, two were World Test Championship (WTC) finals - one against New Zealand (2021) and one against Australia (2023).
For the upcoming series against England, Gill will be the captain while Rishabh Pant will act as his deputy. Reacting to his appointment, the Gujarat Titans captain in the IPL, said leading India in the longest format is a huge privilege.
"It is definitely a bit overwhelming. As a young kid, when anyone starts playing cricket, they want to play for India. And not just play for India, but play Test cricket for India for a very long time. To be able to get this opportunity is a great honour and it's a big responsibility. I'm looking forward to this exciting opportunity, and I think the upcoming series in England is going to be a very exciting one," Gill said in an interview with BCCI.TV.
"I believe in leading by example, not just by performance, but I think off the field by discipline and hard work. As a captain, a leader should be able to know when to step in, but also when to give space to the players. Because everyone has kind of had a different life and grown up differently, everyone has a different personality. So, a good leader should always be able to know what makes his place to be able to have the best performance or the best outcome," he added.
A big challenge awaits Shubman Gill as India prepare for life without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ashwin. While the off-spinner called time on his international career midway Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rohit and Virat retired from Tests earlier this month, just days before the squad announcement for the England series.
"Guys like Rohit bhai, Virat bhai and Ashwin bhai, they have given us a blueprint on how to tour away from home and win matches and series. Yes, it's one thing to be able to deliver and execute. But because we have that blueprint, we know how to tour away from home and win matches and series," said Gill.
Gill highlights leadership styles of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Gill is taking over the Test captaincy from Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format earlier this month. Before Rohit, Virat Kohli was the skipper and in the last 10 years, these two have taken very good care of the Test team.
Kohli is the most successful Indian captain, having led the team to 40 victories in his captaincy tenure. Under Kohli, India became a force to be reckoned with overseas. It was under him that India won a series Down Under for the very first time.
While discussing India's next Test assignment, Gill also discussed Kohli and Rohit's different leadership styles.
“You want to be able to win as a captain, and your styles can be different. But they both were very different but also similar in their own sense. Virat bhai was always very aggressive, always wanting to lead from the front with hunger and passion. Rohit bhai was also aggressive. But you might not see that in their reaction or in their expressions,” said Gill.
“But he was also someone who was always very attacking on the field. Rohit bhai was someone who was very calm and tactically always very present. And he's very communicative to the players, what he wants from the players. And so these are the qualities that I learned from him,” he added.
