Not Shubman Gill, AB de Villiers suggests GT should have given captaincy to this player

Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers recently expressed his opinion for the Gujarat Titans (GT) to designate a senior player as the captain following Hardik Pandya's departure. Contrary to expectations, Gujarat opted to appoint young Indian opener Shubman Gill as the captain for the new season.

De Villiers, acknowledging Kane Williamson's proven leadership skills and extensive captaincy experience, believes that the management should have allowed Gill to establish himself across formats within the Indian team before assigning him leadership responsibilities.

"The minute I saw Kane Williamson's name as a retained player, I thought there was a fantastic opportunity to give an experienced player who has done it before an opportunity to captain for you. Give Shubman Gill the opportunity just to cement in all the formats in Indian cricket and just to have another good season at the IPL."

Villiers opined Gill should be groomed for leadership

Although de Villiers is optimistic about Gill's potential success in the captaincy role, he suggests that a more effective approach would have been to groom Gill for leadership by having him play under Williamson.

"They decided to throw him in as captain," he elaborated. "It may pay off; I am not saying it is wrong. I am saying that it was a great opportunity for Shubman just to learn a little bit and know that the plan is for him to be captain in 2025. Nonetheless, I am excited to watch him perform and lead from the front."

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Shubman Gill has showcased remarkable form this year, proving his abilities in both international cricket and the IPL. Leading the charts with 890 runs in 17 appearances, he secured the Orange Cap as the top run-scorer in IPL 2023.

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