Though the world will have to wait another fortnight to see a real glimpse of Shubman Gill as a captain in Test cricket, with the India superstar likely to become the youngest captain in the team in this century, during the Test series against England, the 25-year-old took the initial indication of his aggressive leadership when he spoke of the abrupt retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ahead of the tour.
Shocking Retirements Rock Indian Test Setup
Less than a month from the departure of the Indian team for the tour of England, Rohit made a sudden decision to retire from Test cricket through Instagram. Only five days later did Kohli do the same. The two consecutive announcements created a cloud of doubt around the efficacy of the Indian team, particularly prior to the serieous series with England.
Shubman Gill Dismisses Pressure Talk
But Gill firmly brushed aside suggestions of any pressure on the young Indian team without the two pillars, indicating it was similar to any challenging situation they had encountered in the past.
“Pressure is always there in every tour. Definitely, two very experienced players who played for such a long time and won so many times, very difficult to fill their space. But it is not a different kind of pressure, all of us players are used to it,” he said in the pre-tour presser on Wednesday.
India will have senior players in KL Rahul, comeback Karun Nair, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and of course, Jasprit Bumrah.
Vision of Shubman Gill for Captaincy
Shubman Gill also spoke candidly about what kind of captain he wished to be, stating that he wished to make his players feel safe throughout his time in office through communication.
“No particular style that I want to follow. I like communication with the players, making them feel secure. Making a bond with the players is very important for me as a captain. It is only when players are secure that they will give you their 100 percent,” he said.
England series is going to start on June 20 at Headingley.
