Shubman Gill is ready to start a new revolutionary chapter in his life as he assumes India's new Test captaincy for the five-match series against England, beginning June 20.
Ahead of steering the team into the 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, the 24-year-old confirmed that the leadership cap has come with no extra baggage from the team management.
During an interview with Dinesh Karthik on the Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel, Gill revealed that head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have given him total faith in his leadership abilities, allowing him to lead without having unrealistic hopes.
“I’ve spoken to Gauti bhai and Ajit bhai multiple times,” Gill said. “They’ve made it clear — there are no expectations in the sense of asking me to do things beyond my capacity. They just want me to express myself as a leader.”
Though Gill is not weighed down by outside pressure, he admitted establishing personal expectations. "There's always that inner expectation to perform — as a player and now as a captain — but that pressure is self-induced, not from the coach or selector," he said.
Ever since Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket, Gill has become India's 37th Test captain. An opening spot is a regular one for Gill, and he has played both as an opener and at No. 3 in Test cricket. Rishabh Pant will be his deputy for the England series.
Gill's Vision: Secure, Supportive Environment
Speaking about his leadership vision, Gill spoke of creating a team culture based on security and happiness. "Aside from trophies and successes, I would like to create a culture where players are secure and happy. That is not easy, particularly with the level of competition and the number of matches played against different squads. But if I can achieve that, I'll count it as a success," he added.
His appointment also finds parallel in the past with great interest. India has infamously managed to win only three Test series in England — in 1971, 1986, and 2007 — each time with a first-timer as captain: Ajit Wadekar, Kapil Dev, and Rahul Dravid respectively.
With Gill now spearheading a new-look team into one of the toughest conditions for cricket, anticipation is building in whispers about if history might just be repeating itself.
While Team India is ready to face the swinging action and strategic requirements of English pitches, the five-Test series will prove to be an early leadership test for Gill's credentials and India's new red-ball era.
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