Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary batter, thinks Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant all have solid leadership skills, but he sees Gill as the top choice for India’s next Test captain. With Rohit Sharma stepping away from Test cricket, a new captain needs to be named before the Test series against England starts on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds.
Gavaskar mentioned that while each player’s style is unique, he feels Gill is the most active on the field. “It’s going to take a couple of years to develop future leaders to match our great captains like MS Dhoni, Rohit, and Virat. They each had their own way of leading,” he told PTI on Star Sports Press Room.
When it comes to Gill, Iyer, and Pant, Gavaskar sees a mix of qualities from Dhoni, Rohit, and Virat. “Gill is definitely competitive. When there’s a call to make, he’s right there asking the umpire. He’s very much engaged,” he said. “Pant, even from behind the stumps, is involved too. Iyer has also done a great job. All three have brought a lot of positive energy to their captaining style,” Gavaskar added.
Shubman Gill, who’s 25, has captained India in five T20Is during the Zimbabwe tour last year and is currently in his second season as captain of the Gujarat Titans in the IPL. He made his international debut in 2019 after being part of India’s U19 World Cup-winning team in 2018 and played for the Kolkata Knight Riders before joining GT.
Though Jasprit Bumrah was seen as a potential Test captain, reports indicate he may have stepped back from the role due to concerns about managing his workload, as he might not be available for all five Tests against England.
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