Shubman Gill is the newly appointed India Test captain.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the squad for India’s Test tour of England. Following the recent Test retirement of Rohit Sharma, they have chosen Shubman Gill to don the captain’s hat in the red-ball format. This overseas tour will be Gill’s first assignment as India captain. Former batter Mohammad Kaif has asked Gill to seek the advice of veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane before beginning his Test captaincy stint.
Kaif feels this is an opportunity for Gill “to become a hero.”
“I think this is a chance for Gill to become a hero. He is getting an opportunity to lead a young team in England, and in such cases sometimes the expectations are a bit low. That is something that Gill can use to his benefit,” he said.
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Kaif also pointed out similarities between the squad for the upcoming tour and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) winning team of 2020-21. He emphasised how Rahane led a young team against the mighty Australia. He came back with a 2-1 series victory to retain the title.
“When Rahane was leading India in Australia before the Gabba Test, everyone had said that it is a very young team. So, Gill should probably phone Rahane and have a chat, because Rahane had done some brilliant work in that tour with a young side. Gill has to do something like that as well,” he said in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).
However, the newly appointed Test skipper is yet to prove his abilities in overseas matches. After his debut against Australia in 2020, he has scored only 559 runs in 13 matches outside the Indian subcontinent and registered two half-centuries.
In his last England tour in 2022, he scored only 88 runs in three Test matches. Gill’s overseas record stands in stark contrast to his impressive Test performances at home. He has notched up 1,177 runs in 17 matches, including four tons and five half-centuries.
Fans will hope to see him better his stats after taking on the leadership responsibilities. The series will kick off on June 20 in Headingley.
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