Shubman Gill will lead the Indian team against England, in the upcoming five-match Test series. The 25-year-old succeeded Rohit Sharma, who retired from the longest form of cricket in May. This marks a significant milestone in Gill’s career as he steps into a role filled with opportunity and responsibility.
Ahead of the tour beginning on June 20, Gill shared insights about his discussions with India head coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
Discussions with Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar
Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar have encouraged Shubman Gill to lead the team authentically. The duo expressed that they have no specific expectations or pressure on him, allowing Gill to shape his captaincy style according to his strengths.
“I have had this conversation numerous times with Gauti bhai and Ajit bhai. They just want me to be able to express myself as a leader. That’s what they have told me ‘There are no expectations’. They are not expecting me to do something I am not capable of,” Gill shared during a conversation with Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports.
“I don’t think that there are any expectations or pressure from them, but you definitely have some kind of expectations from yourself as a leader and a player. So those are the expectations that I have from myself, but not from them,” he added.
Shubman Gill on team culture
Gill also spoke about his intention to create a supportive and positive environment within the team. He emphasized the importance of building a culture where players feel secure and content.
“Apart from all the silverware and trophies aside, I would ideally like to build a culture where everyone is very secure and happy. I know it can be a very difficult environment, especially with all the competition or the number of matches that we play and different squads coming in, but if I can do that, that would be my goal,” Gill concluded.
Shubman Gill’s Test stats
Shubman Gill has played 32 Test matches and has amassed 1893 runs at an average of 35.05. He has smashed 7 fifties and 5 centuries. Gill has registered the highest score of 128 runs and has taken 25 catches.
India’s full squad for England tour
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.
