India national cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has reminded young Punjab player Shubman Gill of issuing a big warning to him after he was appointed as the new Test captain.
Gautam Gambhir said that Shubman Gill received unfair criticism after becoming Test captain, and he was happy to see the batsman shrugging off the criticism with his exceptional batting performances on the England tour.
With the talent he has, it never surprises me that he scored 750 runs – Gautam Gambhir
Ahead of the Test series against England, Shubman Gill, aged 25, was named as the new Test captain, replacing Rohit Sharma after he retired from the longest format of the game.
Gill’s appointment as captain was met with criticism, with many citing Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant as better candidates for the role.
Shubman Gill finished the series as the leading run-getter with 754 runs at an average of 75.40, when no other batsman could even touch the 600-run mark. Also, India was successful in drawing the five-match Test series 2-2.
In a recent conversation, Gambhir while talking about Gill said that despite being under pressure during the England tour, the young player did not show any anger or frustration.
Gambhir said in an interview with Star Sports, “The criticism he faced and the things people said about him. Very unfair things were said about him. Sometimes you pick players based on their ability. What do you expect from a 24-25 year old kid). He should have averaged more than 50 and he should have scored runs everywhere, it will happen with time.”
He said, “With the talent he has, it never shocked me that he scored 750 runs. I am happy with the way he led the team. There were moments when I was under pressure, the support staff was under pressure, but he was under pressure more than us on the field. In the entire 25 days on the England tour, I do not remember any moment when he showed frustration and pressure on his face. He led with a smile. He deserves it in every sense of the word.”
I told him one thing clearly, ‘We have thrown you into the deep sea – Gautam Gambhir.’
Gautam Gambhir revealed that he had told Gill that he has been thrown into the deep end with the captaincy appointment and he can either sink or emerge as a world-class player.
“I remember that entire conversation. Choosing a 25-year-old player as the captain of the Test team. I told him one thing very clearly, ‘We have thrown you into the deep sea. From here, you have two options. Either you will drown or you will become a world-class player.’ The 750 runs he scored don’t matter to me. If he had not scored so many runs in England, he would have done it in the next tour,” Gambhir said.
He said, “A 25-year-old kid with a young team, the way he handled himself and the way he handled the captaincy. He handled the team and the captaincy against a great England team. I don’t think he will have a more difficult task than this.”
I don’t think this difficult responsibility has been given to any Indian captain – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir praised Shubman Gill for overcoming “the toughest task” on the England tour and was hopeful of him achieving great success.
Gambhir said, “I don’t think any Indian captain has been given such a tough responsibility in a span of two months. The intimidating England team and the young Indian team, as well as the way they handled the pressure. For me, that was a big blow. I think they have overcome their toughest task.”
“I said to him after the Oval Test, ‘You have overcome your hardest task and the transition is over. Things will get much easier from here on.’ I hope it gets easier for him because he deserves every bit of it.”
Also read: Shubman Gill becomes a villain? Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks silence on his horrific run out in Delhi Test
