Pressure, what pressure. Shubman Gill aces 1st assignment as India captain

India Today

2 days ago

The moment Shubman Gill took over as the Indian Test team skipper, he was right under scrutiny. Now, if you follow social media and are a fan of memes, then you would have seen how the 25-year-old was trolled and consistently compared to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni. India is a cricket-crazy nation, and they want their new skipper to be of a certain stature.advertisementMany felt that Gill didn't look particularly impressive in terms of aura or possessing the X-factor as Test team captain. He didn't seem to have the intensity and aggression of Kohli, nor the relaxed, casual style Rohit made famous during his tenure. To top it all off, Gill was handed the No.4 spot—one that had previously been occupied by legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. This was an important role where expectations ran high: not just 30s or 40s, but hundreds were demanded.Gill then made a simple statement:
'When I want to go out there and bat, I want to play as a batter and not think about the captaincy, which can put pressure on me. I want to be the best batter in the series.'So, the spotlight was firmly on him. And then he stepped out to bat under indifferent and tricky English conditions—conditions that have haunted many of the greats. But what followed was simply brilliant.Doing the main jobGill always believed that being a batter was his primary responsibility. He has always been vocal about leaving the captaincy baggage in the dressing room when he's out there batting—and it was evident during his time in England. The Indian captain had the series of a lifetime, shattering multiple records by scoring 754 runs in five Tests, including four centuries.On the path to greatness The Shubman Gill era is well and truly underway #SonySportsNetwork #GroundTumharaJeetHamari #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings pic.twitter.com/MOxje1Mvxk— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 2, 2025It all started in the very first Test, in the very first innings, as he showed that he was always the heir apparent to Kohli as the new No.4. He also shut down all the critics who questioned his Test numbers.'Each hundred that I scored had a different significance. In Leeds, I was under a bit of pressure after not being able to perform in this format.''The double century and the second innings hundred in Birmingham helped to seal that match. And the one in Manchester, to be able to save that game from that situation was special. Each of them has a story and each of them means a lot to me,' said Gill.advertisementAnd all these hundreds didn't go in vain, as the series was levelled—and the 25-year-old was named India's Player of the Series.Gill and his way of captaincyThat was Gill the batter doing his primary role. But what about Gill, the captain?The first Test saw him receive criticism for being defensive, with many wanting some fire and masala. They expected him to be in the opponent's face, spitting fire and trying to rattle them with words. A certain King of Indian cricket did that as skipper—and after one loss, everyone expected the same.But from the second Test onwards, barring a few off days in Manchester, Gill marshalled his troops well and never let England out of sight. Despite the limited availability of Jasprit Bumrah in the series, Gill was consistently told to bring Kuldeep Yadav into the lineup as an attacking option. However, Gill belongs to the school of thought that defence is the best form of attack.Even at the Oval on Day 5, Gill was content to let England take singles, with fielders patrolling the boundary effectively.'When a single was required off the last ball, he didn't change his strategy. He still had fielders on the boundary. A single was also taken twice. This is a massive strength for anyone,' Ajay Jadeja said when he analysed Shubman Gill's captaincy.advertisementNot giving in to the outside noiseWhen you're the Indian captain, noise is something that's going to follow—unless you've got state-of-the-art headphones to block it out. Every single press conference saw the Indian team management and skipper getting asked about Kuldeep Yadav and why he wasn't being picked.But Gill never gave in to the outside noise and stuck to his guns—something that earned praise from Irfan Pathan.'This Indian team doesn't give heed to outside noise. The outside noise asks them to play Kuldeep Yadav from the first Test to the fifth Test. India didn't play him. What they wanted was to increase batting depth. They backed it and drew the series 2-2 to prove they are a good touring side,' said Pathan on his YouTube channel.Don't mistake this for over-defensiveness, either. Gill knows when to amp it up when needed. If you're unsure, just ask Zak Crawley.Even Gill knows he has room for improvement. The Indian captain isn't resting on his laurels just yet and is ready to make the necessary changes.advertisement'I have more clarity where I personally need to work on as a captain. There will always be opinions in hindsight. What matters to me is I want to take the most probable decision in that moment,' Gill said.As we look back on the series, it was all about India applying pressure on a youngster, hoping he would emerge as a diamond. The jewel is still a bit rough around the edges, but with a bit of polishing, Shubman Gill will surely become one of the main men for Indian cricket in the coming years.- EndsTune InMust Watch