Shubman Gill believes that captaincy “brings out the best in him” after leading India to a 4-1 series victory against Zimbabwe, as he discovered a side of himself that he appreciated on the field. Gill, who nearly missed out on the T20 World Cup, was one of India’s star performances in their 4-1 series victory over Zimbabwe, which ended in Harare on Sunday. As opener and captain, the right-hander scored a series-high 170 runs at an average of 42.50, excelling in both positions.
The Zimbabwe series was Gill’s first time captaining India at the senior level, and the 24-year-old said he relished the experience. As the search for Rohit’s successor as captain continues, Gill’s leadership will be considered ahead of India’s white-ball series in Sri Lanka later this month and three home matches against Bangladesh later this year.
“It is something I really enjoy. I believe it brings out the best in me when I am out there because I want to be involved in the game. “It brings out the best in me, and I enjoy being on the field,” Gill said of his captaincy.
“There was pressure, I wouldn’t say greater pressure, but clearly, even when you’re just a batter and don’t do well, there’s a certain amount of pressure that comes with that.
“But I think that’s the best part of it. You experience many distinct emotions. Pressure is one of them. And when you get out of that, the satisfaction is great,” he added.
Gill said that he gained a lot from playing under Rohit in recent times, but he also picked up leadership skills from a slew of other India players as he strives to become a permanent fixture in all three forms for his country.
“There was pressure, I wouldn’t say greater pressure, but clearly, even when you’re just a batter and don’t do well, there’s a certain amount of pressure that comes with that.
“But I think that’s the best part of it. You experience many distinct emotions. Pressure is one of them. And when you get out of that, the satisfaction is great,” he added.
Gill said that he gained a lot from playing under Rohit in recent times, but he also picked up leadership skills from a slew of other India players as he strives to become a permanent fixture in all three forms for his country.
“You can learn from Rohit bhai as well as Mahi (MS Dhoni) bhai, Virat bhai, and Hardik (Pandya) bhai. They all have amazing qualities. I’ve played the most under Rohit bhai, so he’s someone I look up to and enjoy playing for,” Gill explained.
Gill was not the only Indian batter to shine against Zimbabwe, as fellow rising guns Yashasvi Jaiswal (141 runs), Ruturaj Gaikwad (133), and Abhishek Sharma (124) also scored more than 50 runs during the series.
He believes that the rivalry for selection among the next generation of top-order batsmen will greatly benefit the defending T20 World Cup champions.
“It’s great that everyone is performing. It demonstrates that everyone is hungry, and no one is willing to take it easy. This is always beneficial to any country or board.
“Anyone who had the opportunity seized it with both hands.” The openers, bowlers, allrounders, and spinners all made an impression, and I believe the selectors have seen everything, and it is now up to them to name the side for the next series (in Sri Lanka),” he said.
