Shubman Gill under pressure? India star reveals a key difference after vice-captaincy promotion

Young Indian opening batter Shubman Gill opened up about his new role after becoming vice-captain in limited-overs formats for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. Shubman Gill said that his role hasn’t changed much in terms of his batting performance in the white-ball formats despite being appointed vice-captain.

The Men in Blue will play three T20I matches against Sri Lanka in Pallekele from July 27 to July 30. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team in the shorter format, with Shubman Gill serving as the vice-captain. Notably, Gill was not selected for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

Shubman captained the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. He faced various challenges, including injuries, a struggling batting lineup, and selection issues. He failed to lead his team to the playoffs after his disappointing personal batting performance in the T20 tournament.

It Doesn't Change Much - Shubman Gill

Speaking to the media ahead of the Sri Lanka T20Is on Thursday, July 25, Shubman Gill stated that his primary focus remains on performing and winning matches for the national cricket team. Gill added that the main difference is the additional decision-making responsibilities on the field.

“(On vice-captaincy) As a batsman it doesn’t change much. When I'm batting out there, I still need to perform, and I need to win matches for the team, that doesn't change. But when you are out on the field, you have to make a bit more decisions than you do when you are playing as a player. I think that’s the major difference,” Gill said.

Shubman Gill whole Press Conference
He talk about many importat thing Must Watch PC pic.twitter.com/EGZZSx4h8S

— Ahmed (@AhmedSG77) July 25, 2024

Shubman Gill was seen in action during the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe earlier this month. The right-handed batter led the young Indian team in the absence of regular players. He guided the team to a 4-1 victory despite losing the first match. Gill was the top scorer of the series with 170 runs in five innings.

The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar and new head coach Gautam Gambhir, showed faith in Gill after a fruitful series in Zimbabwe. The young batter was given the responsibility of vice-captain in both white-ball formats. The team management wants to groom him as a future skipper of the Indian team.

The 24-year-old batter has represented the Indian team in 19 T20I matches. The right-handed batter has amassed 505 runs with an average of 29.70 and a strike rate of 139.50, including one century and three fifties. Shubman Gill had struggled before the recent Zimbabwe series, registering scores of 9, 0, 8, and 23.

Gautam Gambhir will begin his tenure as India’s head coach with the Sri Lanka series, supported by new staff members including Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate. Following the T20I series, the Indian team will play three ODIs against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo from August 2 to August 7.

Also read: "My relationship with Gautam Gambhir" - Suryakumar Yadav's scintillating revelation ahead of 1st series