Not Virat Kohli! Shubman Gill told to follow MS Dhoni's captaincy style by WC-winning coach after Lord’s defeat

Former head coach Gary Kirsten, who guided India to the 2011 World Cup title, shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill's captaincy during the ongoing five-match Test series against England. Kirsten stated that the 25-year-old has “great potential” to become one of India’s finest leaders in the format.

Shubman Gill took over as India’s Test captain after the retirement of Rohit Sharma. Gill has delivered impressive batting performances in the series against England. However, his leadership has seen mixed results. India are currently 1-2 behind in the series, with defeats in the first and third Test matches.

I Think He’s Got Great Potential - Gary Kirsten on Shubman Gill

Gary Kirsten said that Shubman Gill is a great thinker and a good player. Kirsten feels he has the potential to become a top Test captain for India.

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“Well, it’s early days. I think he’s got great potential. Captaincy is a whole lot of things that you’ve got to put together,” Kirsten said in an interview with Rediff.

"He’s a great thinker in the game. He’s a good player himself. But there’s a whole bunch of things you’ve got to get right. And I think man management is going to play, like any leader,” he added.

Shubman Gill is the leading run-scorer in the ongoing Test series between India and England. He has amassed 607 runs across six innings at an average of 101.16, including three centuries. Rishabh Pant has scored 425 runs from six innings at an average of 70.83.

MS Dhoni Was an Incredible Man-Manager - Gary Kirsten

Kirsten, who worked closely with MS Dhoni, described the former skipper as an incredible man-manager. He added that Shubman Gill should follow Dhoni, noting that it would enhance his captaincy.

“Dhoni was an incredible man-manager. If he can get that component of his leadership really fired up, I think he has all the credentials to become a great captain for India,” Kirsten added.

Kirsten and Dhoni guided India to their 2011 ODI World Cup triumph. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India won three major ICC tournaments - the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Dhoni also led India to two Asia Cup victories in 2010 and 2016.

He’s Got a Toughness to Him - Gary Kirsten on Gautam Gambhir

Gary Kirsten said that he’s unfamiliar with Gautam Gambhir’s approach as a coach. Kirsten described Gambhir as tough, strong, and someone with a distinct personality and style.

“Well, I don’t know Gautam, the coach, at all. Gautam, the player, I absolutely loved. He’s got a toughness to him that is very useful. I think he’s really strong. But he’s got a personality and he’s got a style. The big thing is does that personality and style connect with Indian players? That’s really what it’s going to be about," Kirsten said.

Gautam Gambhir’s early stint as head coach in red-ball cricket has faced setbacks. India suffered a 3-0 whitewash at home to New Zealand under his leadership and went on to lose the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 against Australia.

Also read: Watch: Deepti Sharma hits Rishabh Pant-style one-handed six against England, says "I picked that up from…"