Shubman Gill should lead India in Tests, says Ravi Shastri
What's the story
Former Indian cricket team head coach, Ravi Shastri, has thrown his weight behind Shubman Gill for the Test captaincy.
Shastri's endorsement comes as India gears up for a five-match Test series in England.
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring from the format, there is a void in Test leadership experience, raising the question of who will take over Rohit's captaincy.
Here's more.
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Shastri praises Gill's potential
Shastri praised Gill's potential on the ICC Review, discussing the broader challenges of transitioning from IPL to Test cricket, saying, "He'll have played IPL cricket, which is four-over cricket. Now will come the test of bowling 10-15 overs."
He was confident about Gill's capabilities and said he should be given a chance to lead.
"You groom somebody," Shastri said. "And I would say Shubman's looked very good."
Experience
Shastri highlights Gill and Pant's experience
Shastri also named Rishabh Pant as another potential candidate for the captaincy, owing to his age and experience.
Both Gill and Pant have been leading their respective Indian Premier League teams for a while now.
"They've got experience as captains, now, captaining their franchise," Shastri noted. "And that makes a difference."
He called Gill composed and calm with all the necessary qualities of a captain.
Caution
Shastri advises caution with Bumrah's captaincy
Shastri admitted that Jasprit Bumrah could have been a strong captaincy candidate after his impressive showing in Australia.
However, he was worried about how captaincy would affect Bumrah's recovery from injury.
"I don't want Jasprit to be made captain and then you lose him as a bowler," Shastri said. "He's coming back now after a serious injury."
Gill
Shubman Gill is the likely candidate to lead India
As per ESPNcricinfo, Gill is the likely candidate to be handed the reins. He has been a Test regular of late.
Notably, Gill has never led in Test matches or ODIs. However, he has led the team in five T20Is during a tour of Zimbabwe which had several regular names missing.
Gill is highly regarded by the manegement and stands a chance.
Gill is currently the captain of Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
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A look at Gill's Test numbers
In 32 Test matches, Gill has scored 1,893 runs at 35.05. He owns 5 tons and 7 fifties. In 2024, Gill played 12 Tests for India, scoring 866 runs at 43.30, as per ESPNcricinfo. He slammed three tons and three fifties.