Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has once again backed youngster Shubman Gill as the captain of the Indian Test team. He considered him a hard-working leader who is honest with his players.
After the victory in the ICC T20 World Cup, Gautam Gambhir has once again gained the trust and support of Indian fans. He is now busy justifying every major decision taken by him, which he feels will benefit the team in the long run. One of them was the appointment of Shubman Gill as captain of India in Tests and ODIs.
Boria Majumdar was recently seen questioning Gambhir about replacing Shubman Gill at no. From third place to no. 4, and what is special about leader Shubman Gill, according to the Indian coach.
On Shubman no. 4 It was a strategic move to strengthen the middle order – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir answered this question honestly by claiming that the middle-order was looking relatively inexperienced, so he decided to replace Shubman Gill there, while KL Rahul already brings a lot of experience at the top.
“First of all, it was a combination. We felt we needed a bit of experience in the middle order, because when you are going through a period of change and there are a lot of new boys coming into red ball cricket, you want players with a bit of experience.
Gautam Gambhir said, “We had a player like KL Rahul, who had experience at the top and we needed a player like Shubman Gill, who has played around 40-50 Test matches. So instead of a very inexperienced middle order, if Shubman could have come at No. 4.”
He then further said that this role can also give the Indian captain some space in the middle of the innings, because as a captain, he has to be a part of the entire bowling innings, which can last for one or two days.
“Also, it can also give him some kind of breathing space. Especially before a Test match, when you are on the field for a day or a day and a half, you want to come back and refresh yourself and give yourself some breathing space.
“We all know the kind of quality Shubman had, and there were no surprises in what he did in England and also against the West Indies. A guy has scored close to 2000 runs in seven Test matches, which is incredible for any youngster to achieve so much success when he was made the captain,” Gautam Gambhir praised Gill for his great form in red ball cricket.
Gautam Gambhir claimed that Shubman Gill meets all the standards as a leader.
The Indian head coach had backed Shubman Gill to emerge as the captain of the team. He handed over the captaincy of the Test team to the 25-year-old after Rohit Sharma announced his replacement. Gill was successful in his first series in England, winning two matches and achieving a joint victory.
Gautam Gambhir highlighted the quality of Shubman Gill as a captain, saying, “Again, I have said it before, he has ticked all the boxes. He works really hard, he says the right things, and he is honest with his players and keeps the atmosphere light. That’s what coaches look for in a captain.”
However, India’s Test campaign under Shubman Gill collapsed when they lost the home Test series against South Africa; However, this happened when Gill was ruled out with an injury in the first innings of the series.
“Yes, obviously, like any other person he is a work in progress. When you are captaining a red ball team or a Test team, it is never easy; it is much easier to be captain in a T20 or ODI team than a red ball team.
He showed immense faith in the young Indian captain, saying, “He will keep getting better and hopefully in the future you will get to see the best from Shubman, not only as a player but also as a captain.”
Gautam Gambhir on Shubman Gill’s leadership and performance.
He praised Gill for his brilliant performances against England and West Indies, scoring almost 1000 runs in 7 matches.
He said Gill meets all the criteria as a leader – hard-working, honest towards the players. pic.twitter.com/SCZ35cR3oB
– Sam (@Cricsam01) 16 March 2026
Will Shubman Gill be favored to captain all formats again?
Shubman Gill was appointed captain of the Test and ODI teams. However, despite his role, he was not handed the captaincy of the T20I format by coach Gautam Gambhir. However, he returned to the team and was appointed vice-captain under Suryakumar Yadav.
Shubman was considered the next big thing in the T20I team; However, he was dropped from the Indian team ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup due to poor form. Gill may not be further favored to captain all formats, and Suryakumar will be retained as captain after his success in the ICC T20 World Cup.
Also read: No Hardik Pandya! Ex-KKR star picks Shane Watson as best T20 all-rounder of all time
