Our Bureau
Mumbai
Shubman Gill has been named the successor to Rohit Sharma and has been handed the Indian captaincy in the oldest format of the game. The decision has been a highly debatable one as Gill was chosen over senior players like KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah who has previously captained Indian side.
Former Indian captain and legend, Sunil Gavaskar spoke about the responsibility of being the captain of the national side. He talked about the pressure that comes once you lead a team like India and how different being a captain is than just being a player. He also said with the current captaincy scenario, Gill will have to demand the team’s respect.
Mr. Gavaskar said, “There is always pressure on the player who gets elected as India’s captain as there is a big difference between being a member of the team and being the captain. Because when you are a team member, you generally just interact with players close to you, but when you become the captain, you should behave in a way that the other players in the team respect you and a captain’s behaviour is more important than his performance.”
Former Indian player, Yograj Singh who is always very vocal about his opinions on Indian cricket also spoke on Gill’s recent promotion to leading the Indian side in Test cricket. He said all the credit should go to Gill’s father who has nurtured him from when he was a child and supported him throughout. He also credited his son and one of India’s greatest players, Yuvraj Singh who has mentored Gill in his cricket journey.
He stated, “The credit for Shubman Gill’s performance goes to his father and Yuvraj Singh. If Shubman Gill has become the captain today and will stay for a long time, Yuvraj Singh’s guidance will play and has played an essential role in that. Someone like Yuvraj Singh, the greatest cricketing brain in the world, taking Gill under his wing is a big thing.”
Gill’s captaincy tenure will start from the tour of England on June 20th. He will kickstart a new era in Indian cricket after legends like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin who carried the Indian side in the last decade have retired. This tour will also mark the start of the new World Test Championship cycle, and it seems certain that Gill will be the captain going forward throughout the cycle as selectors have agreed to give him a long rope.
