India's new Test skipper Shubman Gill has stated that winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa is above winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy for him.
The 25-year-old skipper of Gujarat Titans in the IPL made his opinion known at a media conference before India's first Test against England, which starts on Friday.
The Test Series, I think," replied Gill when questioned on whether to select an overseas Test victory or an IPL championship. "You do not get so many chances as captain to be able to travel to England, perhaps two (tours) if you are the best of your generation, (or) perhaps three," he clarified.
IPL arrives annually and you get to have a go at it annually. For me, to win a Test Series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa (SENA countries altogether) is greater," Gill said.
India will be traveling without veterans Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R. Ashwin, but Gill opines that the inexperienced nature can prove to be a boon in the team's favor. "Everyone speaks about, you know, our side is not experienced, but there are also positives in that we don't have any baggage traveling to England, because not all of the players have traveled to England," he observed.
"That would be one of the things that would make a big difference for us because we wouldn't have any baggage," he went on to say, sounding optimistic about the new team's chances to perform.
Lessons from previous leadership, Gill stressed, that the Indian team has learned is a winning attitude. "The blueprint which we have got from our seniors in the last 5–10 years is that we can go and win anywhere, we will try to follow that with the same confidence," he stated.
Gill has also agreed that he will be batting at No. 4 in the order, a position he's assumed after Kohli's retirement from the red-ball game. "After Virat Bhai retired, me and GG (Gautam Gambhir) bhai had a conversation regarding it and we were both clear that he wanted me to bat at No. 4 and I was also clear that I too wanted to bat at that number," he explained.
The new skipper discussed the significance of creating a safe and caring atmosphere for his players. "If we manage to build that kind of environment, then I believe our Test series and WTC cycle will prove to be extremely successful," Gill pointed out.
He also emphasized the importance of supporting players based on ability and performance. "It's about (having) clear communication; what you want from them? Trying to assign roles, how they would want to go about their things. Having the confidence to be able to back them with their natural game," he said.
"Certainly there would be some players who you do give long leashes simply because of their sheer potential which you visualize. But to that extent, it's all about providing them with clear communication and speaking the truth to them and that's how I feel the connection of a leader and a player is (at) its best," he further added.
Gill also disclosed that he took guidance from Kohli and Rohit in the IPL in order to prepare for this series. "I met both of them at the IPL and they shared with me their experiences, particularly here in England, and some of the issues that we may confront here," he said.
Looking back at India's recent series against England at home, Gill complimented the team's strategy. "I feel the Test series that we contested against England in India (2023–24) was one of the finest in which I played and even in that Test series, not many of our senior members were available in all matches."
"How we approached (in) that series was the way that I believe the series is going to be as well," he said.
In terms of team selection, Gill said that a drier than normal English summer has made things slightly more complicated at the time of final decision-making. "We actually were waiting, this summer has been a bit different to the other English summers and it's been a bit dry. I was just waiting to see the wicket one last time to see the final combinations and decide on that," he added.
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