Why was Shubman Gill chosen as captain of India Test team? Rahul Dravid's secret role revealed
A lot of speculations came true on Saturday as chairman of the Indian selection committee Ajit Agarkar named Shubman Gill as the next captain of the Indian Test side, while Rishabh Pant was named as his deputy. The decision came after incumbent skipper Rohit Sharma decided to bid adieu to the game, a move shortly followed by Virat Kohli.
While one would assume that with the two stalwarts of Indian cricket gone, the BCCI would have made the captaincy decision based on the preferences of head coach Gautam Gambhir, they may be proved wrong. There's no denying that Gambhir must have been consulted—or at least informed—before the decision was finalised, but a new report by Hindustan Times has revealed the crucial role played by his predecessor Rahul Dravid in naming the new skipper.
Reportedly, selectors were deliberating between Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as the next India Test captain, given that Bumrah was already out of the equation due to injury concerns. The selectors then turned to Dravid for the veteran cricketer's opinion on Gill's leadership qualities.
Dravid, who has previously worked with Gill during his Under-19 days, reportedly raved about his captaincy skills, and this feedback is said to have played a major role in determining the 25-year-old's appointment as the new Test captain.
"The selectors spoke to Dravid as he had seen Gill when he was a teenager and had also coached him at the U19 and the senior team. He had some great things to say about Gill's potential as a leader," the HT report quoted a BCCI source as saying.
Speaking about the leadership qualities of Shubman Gill during a press conference on Saturday, Agarkar said, "You don't pick captains for one or two tours. You want to try and invest in something that's going to help us going forward. We were hoping that it's the right call. We've seen some progress over the course of the last year with him," he said.
Notably, Gill doesn't have a great average in Test match cricket either in England or in SENA countries in general but the selectors are hoping that the additional responsibilities will help the youngster grow into the role and lead the team better in difficult circumstances like it did with Virat Kohli.
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