'Don’t throw Shubman Gill in the deep end' - Scott Styris' no-nonsense verdict on new India vice-captain

Former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris hailed Shubman Gill's performances but claimed that he is still new to international cricket. Gill was recently appointed India's vice-captain in the T20I and ODI series for the tour of Sri Lanka.

His elevation to the leadership group clearly suggests that the selectors see him as the future of Indian cricket. The selectors already see him as an all-format player and feel his leadership skills can be valuable for India.

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"He’s still finding his feet at the international level" - Scott Styris on Shubman Gill

During a discussion with News18 CricketNext, Styris felt that the Indian selectors see Shubman Gill as a long-term captain in the future but warned them about burdening his young shoulders.

"Yeah, I think there’s a sign that they believe he is perhaps the next long-term Indian captain, but they don’t want to again burden him with too much yet. He’s still finding his feet at the international level. We’ve seen him have some really good scores for India at the international level, but you’re after consistency," Styris stated.

Although Styris was in favor of appointing Gill as vice-captain, he also wants the youngster to grow his own game as a batter. The former New Zealand allrounder predicted Gill to be the backbone of the Indian team in the upcoming years.

"So, just let him learn the experience thing by sitting in without having all that responsibility, but also allowing him time to grow his game because everyone knows the talent and skills he has. He should be the backbone of this Indian side for 10-plus years. Don’t throw him in the deep end just yet. So, I love that appointment again," he added.

Shubman Gill's appointment as India's vice-captain recently came as a surprise. Although Gill has a commendable record in the ODIs, where he averages over 60 with a strike rate of 103.46, he is yet to reach his peak form in T20I cricket.

Shubman Gill's record in T20Is

In T20Is, Gill has scored 505 runs in 19 matches at an average of 29.70 and a strike rate of 139.50. A few days ago, Gill himself admitted that he wasn't satisfied with his performance in T20I and wants to improve his numbers in the format.

Shubman Gill has previously led Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024. Although Titans had a disappointing season where they finished eighth with 5 wins and 7 defeats, Gill was impressive with his leadership skills. Gill is just 24 which makes him a perfect choice for the future captaincy.

While Gill was appointed the vice-captain of the side, Suryakumar Yadav was appointed India's captain in T20I cricket. The T20I series in Sri Lanka will be Suryakumar Yadav's first assignment as India's captain. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma is still India's captain in Tests and ODIs.

India's tour of Sri Lanka will begin on July 27 in Pallekele with the T20I series. It will be followed by the ODI series which will start on August 2 and will be played in Colombo.