Shubman Gill took over from Rohit Sharma as India’s Test captain in May earlier this year.
Gautam Gambhir Shares First Conversation with New Test Captain Shubman Gill
India head coach Gautam Gambhir revealed details of his very first conversation with Shubman Gill after the young batter was appointed India’s new Test captain in May, following Rohit Sharma’s sudden retirement from the format. The candid advice, delivered just before the crucial England tour in the summer, aimed to prepare Gill for the immense responsibilities and challenges of leading the Indian Test team.
Gambhir Compares Shubman Gill’s Captaincy to Navigating a Deep Sea
Speaking to broadcasters after Day 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Gautam Gambhir reflected on Shubman Gill’s leadership journey. He revealed that he had told Gill stepping into the captaincy at that stage of Indian cricket was akin to being thrown into a deep sea, where only two outcomes were possible: to struggle and fail or to rise and establish himself as a world-class leader.
2nd Test: Shubman Gill's India to push for follow-on in Delhi; West Indies resume Day 3 at 140/4 (S Hope 31*, R Imlach 14*), trail by 378 runs#TeamIndia #INDvWI
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He added, “I told him one thing very clearly: ‘We have thrown you into a deep sea, and there are only two paths from here. Either you will drown or you will become a world-class swimmer.’”
Shubman Gill justified his appointment as India’s Test captain during the England tour, scoring a record 754 runs—the most by any Indian captain in a single series—and leading the team to a remarkable 2-2 draw.
Gambhir lauded the 25-year-old’s performance, emphasizing that the runs were secondary to his leadership: “For me, those 750 runs don’t matter. If Shubman hadn’t made those 750 runs on the England tour, he would have made them on the next tour. Because of his quality. For me, the way a 25-year-old kid, with a young team, handled himself, his captaincy, handled the team, handled the pressure, against a quality England side—that is what matters. I don’t think there is a Test more difficult than that in captaincy.”
