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Shubman Gill has a challenging tour of England to kickstart his India Test captaincy stint and Kapil Dev reckons the batter is ready to take on the world.
Shubman Gill has played 32 Tests since making debut in December 2020. (BCCI Photo)
Shubman Gill will have his task cut out when he leads an Indian Test team devoid of the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on the England tour that starts from June 20. Gill was appointed skipper earlier this month with Rohit announcing retirement making him the fifth youngest Indian to captain a Test team.
Gill pipped the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant to get the nod. Few have also questioned the decision to hand the young batter the reigns given he’s yet to establish himself as a top-class Test batter.
Critics have cited his middling average of 35.05 in 32 Tests. In England, he has played three Tests so far and managed 88 runs across six innings at 14.66.
While admitting that Gill has quite a challenge ahead of himself, world cup winning captain Kapil Dev feels that this is not the time to focus on the negatives and he’s confident the 25-year-old will succeed in the role.
“This is a new assignment, and I only look at the positive side of it. It does not matter what his average was in the previous tour to England. Let us not talk negative. He has been picked based on his potential, and I know he would excel,” Kapil told Sportstar.
Gill has never held a leadership role in Test cricket before but Kapil thinks the youngster will learn on the job
“It won’t be easy. It is never easy in England and Australia, but someone must take responsibility. Gill is the man suited to assume the role of a leader. The selectors have weighed all the strong points and made him the captain with a purpose, a long-term investment. He will need the support of the team and the fans. He is young and will learn to give his best and bring the best out of the boys,” Kapil said.
There are a couple of newcomers in the team including Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh. On the other hand, the likes of Shardul Thakur and Karun Nair have been recalled after impressing in domestic circuit.
“It is good the expectations are not high because the team is young,” Kapil said. “It will help Gill and his team. It is sometimes better to be underdogs. You can perform better. For me, Gill is a player ready to take on the world. With support from (Jasprit) Bumrah, I am sure Gill will emerge as a strong captain.”
Kapil though warned that Gill cannot afford to take things lightly in England.
“He (Gill) will learn to shoulder responsibility; a good form with the bat should help him achieve his goal. I am happy for Gill because he looks like a solid batsman. He should remember never to relax when playing in England,” he said.
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