Dinesh Karthik reveals Shubman Gill's approach to Test captaincy mirrors that of Virat Kohli. Gill prioritizes the team's needs over individual batting preferences, echoing Kohli's sentiments on leadership.
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter turned commentator Dinesh Karthik gave a sneak peek into the mindset of Test captain Shubman Gill that closely mirrors Virat Kohli ahead of the third Test against England at Lord’s in London, starting on July 10.
Shubman Gill was appointed as Test captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format ahead of the England tour. The 25-year-old has had a great run of form as skipper in the England Test series, where he has not only led Team India from the front with the bat but also impressed with his tactical acumen and calm leadership in the field, which was reflected in the visitors’ historic Edgbaston Test victory.
The newly appointed Test captain has been considered a successor to Virat Kohli, given his leadership qualities, hunger for runs, and ability to lead the team from the front with the bat, which was demonstrated in the first two Tests of the series against England.
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Shubman Gill echoes Virat Kohli’s words on Test captaincy
Speaking ahead of the Lord’s Test. Dinesh Karthik revealed that he met Virat Kohli before the England tour, recalling how the Indian batting stalwart embraced the Test captaincy. What left former Indian wicketkeeper-batter surprised was that Shubman Gill channeled the same mindset as Kohli.
“People think, 'I’m a great Test cricketer. I enjoyed my test batting, which I did, but the fact is that getting my captaincy was the best thing to happen in my life. Why I am saying this is that the same line was used by Shubman Gill.” Karthik said on Sky Sports.
“He (Shubman Gill) said, ‘I used to bat differently, but now that I’ve got captaincy, I almost think this is what my team requires, rather than me wanting to do something individually as a batter.’ I said wow, this is something for which the world of cricket has to take notice,” he added.
Virat Kohli was one of the greatest and most successful captains the Indian cricket team has ever witnessed, particularly in Test cricket. The 36-year-old led Team India to 68 matches, winning 40 and losing 17, and has a win percentage of 58.82, making him India’s most successful captain in the longest format of the game.
Shubman Gill, on the other hand, kick-started his Test captaincy with a defeat against Headingley in Leeds before bouncing back strongly at Edgbaston.
‘Here is a man who has the appetite’
Further speaking about Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik stated that the 25-year-old has the appetite, skill, technique, as well as mindset to lead the team from the front as a captain and as a batter.
“Here is a man who has the appetite, he’s got the skill, he’s got the technique, but now he’s got the mindset as well. I’m the captain, I’m going to lead from the front, lead off the front foot,” a former India cricketer said.
“I’m sure there are going to be a lot more Test matches for us to observe him. But it looks like he is on the right path,” he added.
Shubman Gill had a record-breaking outing in India’s historic Test win at Edgbaston, where he played two incredible innings of 269 and 161, accumulating 430 runs across both innings, making the second-most runs scored in a single Test match after Graham Gooch’s 456 against India in 1990 at Lord’s.
In four innings, Shubman Gill has amassed 585 runs, including a double century and two centuries, at an average of 146.25.
