New Delhi, May 25 (H.S.): The newly appointed captain of the Indian Test team, Shubman Gill, has stated that getting the opportunity to lead the country in the red-ball format is a great honor and a significant responsibility.
The Indian cricket team is set to tour England next month, where they will play a five-match Test series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced an 18-member Indian squad for this tour just yesterday. Following senior player Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket, Shubman Gill has been appointed the new captain of the Test team, while Rishabh Pant has been given the responsibility of vice-captain.
In a video shared on BCCI.tv on Sunday after being named captain, Shubman Gill mentioned that as a young child, when one starts playing cricket, they aspire to play for India. Not only to play for India but to play Test cricket for a long time. Gill expressed that it is a matter of great pride for him to receive this opportunity, and it also comes with a significant responsibility. He is eagerly anticipating the upcoming series against England, which is going to be thrilling.
Gill emphasized that as a captain, one must understand when to step up and when to give space to their players, as everyone’s life is different, and each individual has their unique personality. Therefore, a good leader should always be aware of how their players can perform at their best or achieve the best results.**
Gill considers himself fortunate to have learned some important lessons under the leadership of former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both legendary stars announced their retirement from the longest format of the game on May 7 and May 12, respectively. Gill stated that when he was a child, he was always inspired by the great players and legends of Indian cricket, and he feels very lucky to have had the opportunity to play with many of them. Whether it was Virat Bhai or Rohit Bhai, both had very different styles, but it was very inspiring to see them working towards the same goal.
The young batsman mentioned that Virat Bhai was always very aggressive. Leading from the front with hunger and passion was his identity. Rohit Bhai, on the other hand, was someone who remained very calm and was always technically present; he communicated a lot with the players about what he wanted from them. So, these are the qualities I have learned from them.
For the England tour, the Indian team includes Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper and vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.
The Test series against England will begin on June 20. The second Test will be played in Birmingham starting July 2. The third Test, which will be hosted by Lord’s Cricket Ground, is set to begin on July 10. The fourth and fifth Test matches will be held at Old Trafford and The Oval, respectively.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
