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Former India opener Virender Sehwag has endorsed young batsman Shubman Gill as India’s captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from international cricket. Gill, appointed captain for the Zimbabwe tour featuring 5 T20Is with India’s second-string team, faces his inaugural leadership challenge—a significant milestone for the 24-year-old already marked by a stellar start in international batting.
While Gill has excelled in white-ball cricket, particularly in ODIs with 2271 runs in 41 matches at an average of 61.37 and a strike rate of 103.46, his performance in red-ball cricket is yet to be fully proven. His transition to a leadership role will be closely watched to gauge his capabilities in this new dimension of his career.
Virender Sehwag supports Shubman Gill as India’s upcoming captaincy prospect.
During a Cricbuzz discussion, Virender Sehwag endorsed the selectors’ choice of Shubman Gill as captain for the Zimbabwe tour, suggesting Gill could succeed Rohit Sharma as India’s next captain in ODIs and Tests.
“I think Shubman Gill will play all the formats for India in the future. He had a brilliant year in 2023 in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He was unlucky not to be a part of the T20 World Cup 2024-winning squad. But I think it’s the right decision because when Rohit Sharma will take retirement from Tests and ODIs, Shubman Gill seems to be the right choice for the captaincy. So, I think the selectors have chosen the right captain in the form of Shubman Gill,” Sehwag stated.
Shubman Gill serves as the captain of Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
Before the IPL 2024 season, Shubman Gill was appointed captain of Gujarat Titans following Hardik Pandya’s departure to Mumbai Indians. Under Gill’s leadership, Gujarat Titans endured a disappointing campaign, finishing eighth in the tournament and missing out on the playoffs for the first time in their history.
In IPL 2023, Gill had a remarkable season with the bat, accumulating 890 runs in 17 matches at an average of 59.33 and an impressive strike rate of 157.80. He smashed three centuries and four half-centuries, finishing as the season’s highest run-scorer.
In IPL 2024, Gill’s form fluctuated, but he still managed to score 426 runs in 12 matches at an average of 38.72 and a strike rate of 147.40, including a century.
Regarding his Test cricket credentials, Gill faced challenges early in his career but played crucial innings during India’s recent Test series victory against England, batting at No. 3. The 24-year-old has accumulated 1492 runs in 25 Tests at an average of 35.52.
