"I think Virat bhai is...": Shubman Gill shares blunt views on Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya's captaincy

Shubman Gill has opened up about the contrasting leadership styles of three of India's captains: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya. Shubman Gill has played under all of these three captains for the Indian National Cricket Team, and he got to learn a lot from the trio.

After helping the India National Cricket Team to beat England by four wickets in the first ODI in Nagpur, the vice-captain has given a peek into the former captains Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya and the current Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma and how they lead the team.

Shubman Gill opens up about the contrasting leadership styles of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya

The Punjab lad revealed that Virat Kohli’s leadership is all about aggression and instinct. Gill said that Kohli is always acting on gut feeling and making decisions instantly. In contrast, Rohit Sharma's approach is more calculated, as the youngster said that the current skipper carefully analyzes the situation before making any move, giving plans more time to play out.

Read Also: Virat Kohli to lead India again as Gautam Gambhir ready to dump Rohit Sharma

Shubman Gill said on Star Sports, “Every leader has a different quality. I think Virat bhai is more aggressive and instinctive. Like, whatever he feels, he would do it straight away. And Rohit bhai, I feel he would think about a lot more before changing any plan. And he would give in a little more time to the current plan and then move on to the next one.”

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya's leadership is all about confidence and flair. Gill revealed how Hardik wants to take charge of the game and dominate. The right-handed batter said that the Indian all-rounder always wants to make sure that the opposition stays on the back foot.

If you have conviction in your belief, I think anything could work, says Shubman Gill

In the end, Gill shared how he has learned valuable lessons from Hardik, Kohli, and Rohit, but he believed that conviction in one’s approach is key to success.

Gill signed off by saying, “And Hardik bhai is very confident, flamboyant, and he wants to dominate the game when he is on the field. And he tells everyone that he wants to dominate the game and not let the other team come forward. So, we have learned the different qualities of all three. I think every person believes in different things. And if you have conviction in your belief, I think anything could work.”

🗣 "If you have conviction in your belief, anything could work." Watch @ShubmanGill share his experience under multiple captains in an exclusive chat on Inside Out - Champions Trophy Special! 🤩

Watch the full episode on D+ H!#ChampionsTrophyOnJioStar 👉 STARTS WED 19 FEB! pic.twitter.com/x6O7uO8IJj

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 8, 2025

Notably, Gill has been recently named Rohit’s deputy for the ongoing three-match ODI series against England at home, as well as for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Gujarat Titans' skipper has been touted as India’s next captain.

Read Also: Shubman Gill drops huge verdict on his leadership as Rohit Sharma struggles

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya's captaincy record in numbers and percentages

Notably, Kohli is one of the most successful captains India have ever seen across the formats, despite the fact that he could not win an ICC trophy as the skipper. He led India to 68 Tests and won 39 matches with a win percentage of 58.82.

Virat has a much better record in ODI cricket as the captain. The dashing right-hander led the Men in Blue in 95 ODIs, winning 65 matches, and his win percentage is 68.42 in the format. He also captained India in 50 T20Is, winning 30 of them with a winning percentage of 64.58%.

Hardik Pandya captained India in 16 T20Is, winning 10 matches with an impressive winning percentage of 62.50%. In ODIs, Hardik led India in 3 matches, winning 2 of them. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma has so far led the Indian cricket team in 135 matches and won 96 matches while losing 33 matches across the formats. He has a winning percentage of over 72% so far.