NOT Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli! Gautam Gambhir calls Shubman Gill as ‘hardworking’ leader

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has once again backed youngster Shubman Gill as the captain of the Indian Test team. He has reckoned him as a hardworking leader who is honest with his players.

Gautam Gambhir has once again gained the confidence and support of the Indian fans following their triumph in the ICC T20 World Cup. He has now turned to justifying every major decision taken by him, which he felt would benefit the team in the long run. One of them was the appointment of Shubman Gill as India's captain in Tests and ODIs.

Boria Majumdar was recently seen questioning Gambhir about the switch of Shubman Gill from the no. 3 position to no. 4, and what, according to the Indian coach, stands out in Shubman Gill, the leader.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Shubman at no. 4 was a tactical move to strengthen the middle order- Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir went on to answer the question honestly, claiming that the middle order was looking relatively inexperienced, so they decided to swap Shubman Gill there, with KL Rahul already bringing in tons of experience at the top.

"First of all, it was a combination. We felt we needed a bit of experience in the middle order, because when you are going through a transition and a lot of new boys are coming through in red ball cricket, you want players with a bit of experience.

"We had someone like KL Rahul, who had experience at the top, and we needed someone like Shubman Gill, who had played close to 40-50 Test matches. So instead of having a very inexperienced middle order, if Shubman could come in at no. 4," said Gautam Gambhir.

He then went on to add that the role could also give the Indian skipper some sort of space in between the innings, since, as a captain, he would have to be part of the entire bowling innings, which could be like one or two days.

"Moreover, it could give him some sort of breathing space as well. Especially leading into a Test match, when you are for like one or one and a half days on the field, you want to come back and freshen yourself and give yourself a breathing space.

"We all know the kind of quality Shubman had, and there was no surprise in what he did in England and against the West Indies as well. A guy has got close to 2000 runs in seven Test matches, which is incredible for any young guy achieving so much success when he was made the captain," Gautam Gambhir praised Gill for his stupendous form in red-ball cricket.

Gautam Gambhir claimed Shubman Gill ticks all the boxes as a leader

The Indian head coach had backed Shubman Gill to emerge as the captain of the side. He handed the 25-year-old the captaincy of the Test side after Rohit Sharma announced his replacement. Gill managed to win two matches and secure a joint victory in his first-ever series in England.

"Again, I have said it before, he has ticked all the boxes. He works really hard, he says the right things, and he is honest with his players and keeps the environment light. That is exactly what the coach wants in a captain," Gautam Gambhir shed light on Shubman Gill's quality as a skipper.

However, India's Test campaign under Shubman Gill came crumbling down when they lost the home Test series against South Africa; however, it happened after Gill was ruled out with an injury in the very first innings of the series.

"Yes, obviously, he has work in progress like any other person. When you're captaining a red ball team or a Test side, it is never easy; it is far easier to be a captain in a T20 or ODI side as compared to a red ball team.

"He will keep getting better as well, and hopefully, going forward, you get to see the best of Shubman, not only as a player but as a captain as well," he said, showing immense faith in the young Indian captain.

🚨GAUTAM GAMBHIR ON SHUBMAN GILL’S LEADERSHIP & PERFORMANCE.🚨

He praised Gill for scoring nearly 1000 runs in 7 matches, performing brilliantly in England & against WI.

He said Gill ticks all the boxes as a leader — hardworking, honest with players. ❤️pic.twitter.com/SCZ35cR3oB

— Sam (@Cricsam01) March 16, 2026

Will Shubman Gill be backed for all-format captaincy again?

Shubman Gill was appointed the captain of the Test and ODI sides. However, despite his role, he was not handed the captaincy of the T20I format by coach Gautam Gambhir. However, he returned to the side and was appointed as the vice-captain under Suryakumar Yadav.

Shubman was considered the next big thing in the T20I side; however, he was snubbed from the Indian squad ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup following his poor form. Gill might not be further backed for all-format captaincy, and Suryakumar will be retained as the captain after his success in the ICC T20 World Cup.

ALSO READ: NOT Hardik Pandya! EX-KKR star picks Shane Watson as the best T20 all-rounder of all time