As India’s Test series against England begins on Friday, everyone will be watching how Shubman Gill fares Shubman Gill, aged 25, occupies the hot seat of India’s Test captain. Few of his age have done so in Indian cricket. His roll of honour includes predecessors like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly to mention a few.
When India begins its Test series against England on Friday, everyone will be keeping an eye on how Shubman Gill fares. Jos Buttler is Shubman Gill’s IPL team Gujarat Titans teammate, and the Indian superstar is a captain himself there. In one such podcast recently, England pace legend Stuart Broad provided an insight into how Shubman Gill is as a skipper. Buttler remarked that the role of captaining India in Test cricket Virat Kohli retires from India Test cricket team is that of a “third or fourth-most influential people” in the nation.
“I’m not sure that we can appreciate the extent of interest and the celebrity that these lads have. You see it when you’re around the IPL, you’re cognisant of it, but living that yourself. I suppose they say the Indian Test captain is essentially the third or fourth-most powerful person in India, after the Prime Minister, so you are placed upon that pedestal,” he said.
(There are a) one-and-half billion folks, all cricket-obsessed, so it’s going to be a massive task for him. Kohli is the emperor, Shubman is the prince: that is the story that they weave out there, and I think that he’s the next big thing. Filling that No. 4, it’s big shoes, isn’t it? He (Gill) explained compartmentalising batting and captaincy, so when he’s batting he simply wishes to be a batter, and then he will attempt and practice his captaincy and try and keep the two roles separate.”
Gill has a monumental job on his hands. India was left experience-starved, particularly after batting magicians Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bid goodbye to the Test format last month. With India lacking its icons, the management searched for young blood to usher in a new dawn.
In his debut task, India’s youngest red-ball captain would have to draw something magical out of the available players at his disposal in the five England Tests, starting at Headingley on June 20.
Although speculations have been rife regarding India’s batting line-up, the rumour mill has indicated that Gill would wear the number four position, inheriting the responsibility of carrying on the legacy that it brings along with the fact that Virat and the great Sachin Tendulkar once occupied the position.
“It is going to be an enormous task for him. He has led two years of IPL cricket, which is a big, pressurized task, and he’s kind of the prince. Kolhi is the king, Shubman is the prince: that’s the story that they concoct out there, and I think that he’s the coming man. Walking into that No. 4, it is giant shoes, isn’t it? Coming after Virat and Sachin Tendulkar before him as well. That’s a massive job,” he further stated.
