Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma? Shubman Gill spills beans on biggest influence on his captaincy

Shubman Gill has opened up about the experience he gained from two of India’s finest leaders, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, before making his debut as Test captain in the upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting on June 20 in Leeds.

Shubman Gill, who doesn’t have any captaincy experience in red-ball cricket, has played under the captaincy of both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma—both have recently retired from Test cricket—and got the opportunity to learn the tricks of leadership up close.

Shubman Gill inspired by Virat Kohli’s boldness and Rohit Sharma's tactical fire

Ahead of the five-match Test series opener against England in Leeds, Gill said that he has picked up the art of staying sharp and always having a plan ready. Kohli’s fast thinking and field awareness made a lasting impact on the young captain.

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Gill has further noted that watching India's most successful Test captain with a 58.82 winning percentage switch strategies in the middle of pressure situations taught him how to stay ahead in the game and keep bowlers focused with quick, clear instructions.

Virat Kohli's 'proactiveness' impresses Shubman Gill most

Shubman Gill said on Sky Sports, “Yes, definitely a lot of things. When I played under Virat Bhai, I think his proactiveness in the test matches with the field or with the ideas or with his thinking was something that I liked and that I picked up, that he was very proactive with his thinking. If he thinks that, okay, this plan is not working, he would immediately have another plan and communicate to the bowler what he wants from them.

On the other hand, Rohit Sharma also left his mark on Gill in a very different way. The new captain said that Rohit’s approach to the game is tactically bold, and he is also an aggressive captain. The right-handed batter further mentioned that he learned how important clear communication is for the team and honesty that helps build trust and unity in the dressing room.

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Rohit Bhai is also very aggressive in terms of his tactics: Shubman Gill

Gill further said of Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, “And can seem like he is not aggressive, but Rohit Bhai is also very aggressive in terms of his tactics. Tactically, he's quite an aggressive captain, and he is someone who is very clear with his communication prior to the matches, during the series, and even after the series about what he wants from the players.

And the kind of environment I think Rohit Bhai keeps, like even if Rohit Bhai is swearing at you, you would not take it to your heart. That's just kind of his personality, and I think that's a great trait to have. He's firm, but even if he's being hard on you, you know that it's not coming from his heart; it's coming from a team perspective.”

What has Shubman Gill learn about captaincy from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma? 🧠 pic.twitter.com/SpciHgofGP

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 15, 2025

He also revealed that the opportunity to lead India in Tests has even shocked his father, Lakhwinder. Despite shaping his son into a technically gifted batter, Lakhwinder had never dreamt of seeing Shubman one day have the honor of being India's Test captain.

From his early days in Punjab, where Gill spent hours shadow-practicing and perfecting his shots under his father’s watchful eyes, the skipper said that his dream was always simple: to play for India, score runs, and win matches, but captaincy was never even on the radar.