Shubman Gill has finally revealed the name of the captain he admires and has also hinted that he is interested in being given the permanent captaincy of the Indian national cricket team.
Rohit Sharma has been the captain of the Indian team in all formats since Virat Kohli stepped down from his role. However, Rohit Sharma recently retired from T20Is along with Virat Kohli and a permanent captain for the format has not been appointed.
Hardik Pandya is a strong candidate for this position as he was Rohit Sharma’s assistant coach, but Gill, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav are also being considered for the role. Also, Rohit Sharma has clearly stated that he will continue to play in ODIs and Tests for some time, so the captaincy in these formats is not in contention.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill cemented his place in the leadership role for Team India as he led the young side to a 4-1 win over the Zimbabwe national cricket team in an away match.
Under the leadership of Shubman Gill, India suffered a shocking defeat in the series opener against Zimbabwe. Gill became the third Indian captain to lose to Chevrons in the T20I format after Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni.
However, he made his team bounce back and led his team exceptionally well in the next four games. Gill did a good job as a leader and batsman in the last four T20Is and helped his team win the series 4-1.
After the 5th T20I, Shubman Gill said the captain is at his best as he gets more involved in the game. He elaborated (as quoted by ESPNCricinfo):
“It’s definitely something I enjoy,” he said. “I think I get the best out of myself when I’m out there playing. It really brings out the best in me. I enjoy being on the field.”
Shubman Gill admits he felt pressured as captain after losing the first game, but he knows how to handle it. Shubman Gill said:
“There was pressure. I wouldn’t say it was extra pressure, but even when you’re just playing as a hitter, there’s a certain kind of pressure that comes with it when you’re not doing well,” he said. “But I think that’s the fun part. You feel so many different emotions. Pressure is one of them. And when you get out of it, the satisfaction you get is incredible.”
Speaking about the young team he led on the Zimbabwe tour, Shubman Gill said it was great to lead such a talented group of cricketers. He said:
“It’s amazing to be able to lead such an incredibly talented group of players who have played age group cricket, under-19s or at India level, alongside me or competing against me.
“When I’ve played with that many players… I think it definitely makes my job easier, when I’ve played with almost all the players I’ve played with or played against at any age level, because I understand them on a player level and also as a person.
“There are a lot of talented players and up-and-coming players, and it’s really fun for me to play with them as a non-striker,” Gil said.
Finally, Shubman Gill revealed that the skipper he looks up to is Rohit Sharma, but added that he loves learning from MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya. Gill said:
“You can get qualities from Rohit Bhai or Mahi (MS Dhoni) Bhai, Virat (Kohli) Bhai, Hardik (Pandya) Bhai, all of them,” he said. “They all have great qualities. I have played most under Rohit Bhai, so he is someone I look up to and really enjoy playing with.”
