Shubman Gill’s stocks are set to rise in Indian cricket as after becoming vice-captain in the T20Is and ODIs, he is set to become Indian Test team vice-captain as well, if reports are to be believed.
The Indian cricket team is entering a new age, with players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli nearing the end of their careers. As the old guard prepares to retire, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking to groom fresh players for leadership positions.
One such daring move forward has been Shubman Gill’s appointment as India’s vice-captain ahead of the Sri Lanka visit. In T20Is and ODIs, the 24-year-old was voted as Suryakumar Yadav’s and Rohit Sharma’s respective deputy.
Current India Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma is 37 years old and recently retired from T20Is. The BCCI may already be considering leadership possibilities after Rohit Sharma, having reintegrated players such as KL Rahul into the setup. Rishabh Pant, Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah were all potential candidates to succeed Rohit Sharma as captain of the Indian cricket team in ODIs and Tests.
Shubman Gill to be next India vice-captain in Test matches starting Bangladesh series
India last played a Test against England early this year, winning the five-Test series 4-1. Their next Test assignment will be the two-test series at home against Bangladesh in August and September.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah has already confirmed that Rohit Sharma will captain India until the World Test Championship final next year. and Jasprit Bumrah was the vice-captain in the England Tests that he played.
But given Bumrah’s workload management, rumors have circulated that Shubman Gill will be Rohit Sharma’s successor. With the Bangladesh Test series approaching, Gill could be given significant responsibility in the red-ball format.
Ahead of India’s tour of Sri Lanka, Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector of the BCCI, spoke highly of Shubman Gill’s qualities as a cricketer. He spoke about the 24-year-old playing all three formats for India.
“Shubman Gill is a three-format player firstly, and he has shown quality over the last year or so. You try and have somebody who can also learn from a couple of the senior guys that are there. He (Gill) has shown some decent leadership qualities,” Ajit Agarkar said at the press conference ahead of the Sri Lanka tour.
According to RevSportz, Shubman Gill could be given the vice-captaincy for the Test series against Bangladesh after being named deputy for the limited-overs format.
🚨 ALMOST CONFIRMED!
Shubman Gill is going to be vice-captain in the Test series against Bangladesh. [Rohit Juglan] pic.twitter.com/D8O63TAXWC
— S P (@SpGujaratii) July 25, 2024
India will meet the Bangla Tigers in a two-match Test series as part of the World Test Championship cycle 2023-25. The first Test will be held in Chennai from September 19 to 23, followed by the final Test from September 27 to October 1 in Kanpur.
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