Shubman Gill receives orders to keep his behaviour in check after becoming India Test Captain

Legendary Team India batter Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill's appointment as the new Test captain for the upcoming five-match series against England. Gavaskar stated that leading the team is different from just being a player and warned Gill about the challenges ahead.

Following Rohit Sharma’s recent retirement, Team India needed to find a new captain for their red-ball team. Gill has only captained India during a T20I series in Zimbabwe last year. However, Gill has shown strong leadership skills while captaining the Gujarat Titans in the ongoing IPL 2025 season.

A Captain's Behaviour Is More Important - Sunil Gavaskar on Shubman Gill

Speaking on Sports Tak, Sunil Gavaskar said that Shubman Gill will face pressure as India’s new Test captain, adding that he must earn the respect of all his teammates, not just those close to him.

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“There is always pressure on the player who gets elected as India's captain as there is a big difference between being a member of the team and being the captain," Gavaskar said as quoted by Sports Tak.

“Because when you are a team member, you generally just interact with players close to you, but when you become the captain, you should behave in a way that the other players in the team respect you and a captain's behaviour is more important than his performance," he added.

The Credit for Shubman Gill's Performance Goes to Yuvraj Singh - Yograj Singh

Former cricketer Yograj Singh said that Gill's success is due to the mentorship of Indian cricket legend Yuvraj Singh. Speaking to ANI, Yograj Singh stated that Yuvraj has played a crucial role in shaping Gill's career and helping him become captain.

"The credit for Shubman Gill's performance goes to his father and Yuvraj Singh," Yograj said.

"If Shubman Gill has become the captain today and will stay for a long time, Yuvraj Singh's guidance will play and has played an essential role in that," he added.

Yograj described Yuvraj Singh as one of the smartest cricket minds and said his mentorship has been invaluable for Gill.

"Someone like Yuvraj Singh, the greatest cricketing brain in the world, taking Gill under his wing is a big thing," he stated.

Gill to Lead India in Five-Match Test Series Against England

The Indian selectors have named an 18-player squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting in Leeds on June 20. Shubman Gill will captain the team, with Rishabh Pant as his deputy.

Gill has scored 1,893 runs in 32 Tests at an average of 35.05, though his performance in England has been below expectations, with just 88 runs at an average of 14.67 across six innings. Pant has scored 2,948 runs in 43 Tests at an average of 42.11, including 556 runs in England at an average of 32.70.

The squad will depart for England after the conclusion of IPL 2025. To prepare, they will play an intra-squad match against India A starting June 13.

Also read: Mustafizur Rahman rules himself out of PAK vs BAN series after playing in the IPL