Shubman Gill's 1st Reaction After Becoming India Test Captain: "As A Young Kid..."
'As a young kid, when anyone starts playing cricket, they want to play for India. Not just play for India, but play Test cricket for India for a very long time. To be able to get this opportunity is a great honour and like you said, it's a big responsibility," Gill said in a short video posted by the BCCI.
Earlier, Ajit Agarkar explained the reason behind Gill's appointment as Test captain.
"We discussed every option that's there, over the last year or so, we've looked at Shubman at various times. Taken a lot of feedback from the dressing room. Very young, but there's been improvement.'
'We're hopeful he's the guy. He's a terrific player, our best wishes to him. You don't pick captains for one tour or two tours. We've seen some progress over the last year or two with him. No doubt it's going to be as tough as it gets," said chief selector Ajit Agarkar on Gill's elevation as captain.
Gill's previous leadership experiences in the Indian team included a 4-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe last year and the white-ball vice-captain of the 2025 Champions Trophy-winning side in Dubai.
Gill has played as an opener and number three batter for India in Tests, and he now takes up the leadership role after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format earlier this month. In 32 Tests, Gill has scored 1893 runs at an average of 35.1, with five centuries and seven fifties against his name.
The 25-year-old is currently leading Gujarat Titans who are on top of the IPL 2025 points table and are set to feature in the playoffs. His GT teammates and coaching staff members have lauded Gill for his proactiveness, calmness and tactical nous.
In the squad, Karun Nair returns to the Test team after seven years, while Arshdeep Singh and B Sai Sudharsan get their maiden Test call-ups.
There's no place for veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who Agarkar said is not fully fit to handle the rigours of playing Test cricket.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
15 minutes ago
- India Today
Priyansh Arya looking to break trophy curse in Delhi Premier League season 2
Priyansh Arya has emerged as one of India's most exciting young talents, setting tournaments alight with his fearless strokeplay. From hitting six sixes in an over in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) to smashing a 39-ball century in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Arya has done it all except lift a trophy. Now, as he prepares for a fresh start with the Outer Delhi Warriors in DPL 2025, he's hoping to finally break the curse of lost in DPL 2024 season, Arya was unstoppable with the bat, racking up 608 runs in 10 matches for South Delhi. He rose to prominence during the tournament by hitting six sixes in a single over, a rare feat that instantly went viral. But when it came to the final, his team fell short. Coincidentally in IPL 2025, where Arya was a breakout performer for Punjab Kings with 475 runs, yet his team once again stumbled in the the jersey launch of his new team, Outer Delhi Warriors, Arya reflected on those tough losses and the challenge of delivering under pressure. 'There's no such change in the plan, It's just that our final match is a pressure match. So, the way we handle the pressure, it will work for our game.' he has become a recurring theme in Arya's young career. In last year's DPL final, he walked in at a crucial stage and managed only 6 off 2 balls. In the IPL 2025 final, despite a promising start, he could only muster 24 off 19. Numbers that don't quite reflect the impact he had throughout both tournaments. In both finals, he couldn't quite deliver the knockout punch, but his impact across the seasons was on his time with Punjab Kings and the influence of head coach Ricky Ponting, revealed a simple yet powerful piece of advice that guided him throughout the IPL 2025 season. It might sound like basic advice, but for him, rather than focusing on technical changes or forcing a new approach, Ponting reinforced the idea of sticking to what had already been working for him.'He told me to do what I have been doing till now," said of Gautam GambhirThe former Australian captain who has seen the highs and lows of cricket, understands the importance of a player's confidence and natural instincts in a game as unpredictable as T20 cricket. This reassurance to continue with his free-flowing style was a reminder that his strengths were exactly what the team Gambhir has also been a major influence on Arya growing up. Watching Gambhir's fearless and composed batting, especially in high-pressure moments like the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup final ignited his passion for cricket.'I have seen Gautam since childhood," he as he steps into the 2025 DPL season with the Outer Delhi Warriors, he is determined to channel the same resilience and big-match temperament that made Gambhir a legend. With his natural game backed by the confidence instilled by Ricky Ponting, his eyes are firmly set on breaking the trophy curse.- Ends
India Today
15 minutes ago
- India Today
Parthiv Patel brings IPL experience to Outer Delhi Warriors as mentor for DPL season 2
Former Indian wicketkeeper and batter Parthiv Patel is set to don a new hat this time as the mentor of Outer Delhi Warriors, the newest entrant in Delhi Premier League (DPL) Season 2. With a squad full of young and promising talent, including the likes of IPL stars Priyansh Arya and Suyash Sharma, the veteran cricketer is ready to channel his rich experience into shaping the next generation of Delhi-based the modern cricketing world, success isn't just about skills with the bat or ball, it's also about how well a team works together. That's where man management comes in. Whether it's lifting a player's confidence after a rough patch or knowing when to give someone space, good man management can be the difference between a team that plays for each other and one that falls apart under pressure.'You talk about established teams. But here, the platform is different and cricketers are at different stages of their professional journey. It is extremely important to understand the mindset of every cricketer,' Patel, on being questioned about the importance of efficient man management for young cricketers, told India Today. Patel also stressed on the need to create an environment where players can express themselves freely, without feeling too restricted.'It is essential to provide a platform where players are able to express themselves fully without crossing the line, and that is what we will try to do here,' he to hold dressing room togetherThe 40-year-old also pointed out that while many talented players go unsold at the auction table, those who have been picked have made it to the stage on account of their potential. 'Every cricketer is young, and if they have reached here, it means that they have certain capabilities. The ones we have grabbed, we would try to bring the best out of them, and for the same, the role of the support staff is of vital importance,' he asked about the one mantra that can hold a dressing room together, Patel kept it simple, 'It's about keeping it light, keeping it happy, and making sure that you don't judge anyone. Everyone has their own way of preparing, so it's important to keep a flexible mindset.'Having worked with two of the most well-structured franchises in the IPL, Mumbai Indians – renowned for their sharp talent scouting, and Gujarat Titans – praised for their orthodox yet astute style in T20I setup, Patel has seen what it takes to build a winning unit from the ground up. As the Warriors embark on their maiden DPL journey, he could very well be the key architect in building a strong team.- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
15 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Absolutely unnecessary': Shubman Gill breaks silence on Gautam Gambhir's fight with Oval pitch curator
India captain Shubman Gill said that he fails to understand why the pitch curator at the Oval had a problem with them taking a look at the wicket from close quarters, an incident which eventually led to head coach Gautam Gambhir having a verbal altercation with the latter. Clips of Gambhir's angry exchange with Lee Fortis went viral on Tuesday and Gill said that India were never given any instructions about how to approach the pitch that were outside of what is general practice. 'As long as I remember there was never any instructions like that,' said Gill when asked on the even of the fifth Test between India and England if they were informed early on by the ground staff at the Oval about needing to stay 2.5 metres away from the playing surface when inspecting the pitch in the days before the match. 'As long as we are wearing rubber spikes or barefooted, you can see the wicket from close quarters. I don't know what happened yesterday, why the curator didn't allow it. We have played four matches (in the ongoing tour of England), no one stopped us from doing that. We have played enough cricket in the past and captains and coaches have looked at the pitches from close so many times. I don't know what the fuss was all about,' he said. Gill further siad that the coach has every right to take a look at the pitch from close quarters. 'I thought it's just absolutely unnecessary. It's not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket. We have been here for almost two months. A coach has every right to be able to go close quarters and have a look at the wicket. I don't think there is anything wrong with that and I actually don't know why the curator would not allow us to go have a look at the wicket. 'If a pitch curator is going to come and ask us to not look at the wicket, or look at it from 3 meters away, that's not something that has happened to us before. We have been playing cricket for a long time, as long as we are wearing rubber spikes or barefoot, we are allowed to look at the wicket from close quarters, which is the job of the coach and the captain. So I don't know why they didn't allow us to do that,' he said. In visuals captured by the travelling flock of Indian media, Gambhir can be seen yelling at a burly man, who was later identified as Fortis. VIDEO | Indian team's head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen having verbal spat with chief curator Lee Fortis at The Oval Cricket Ground in London ahead of the last Test match of the series starting Thursday. After having drawn the fourth Test at Old Trafford, India have a chance… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 29, 2025 Gambhir can be heard yelling 'you don't tell us what we need to do'. Later, India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had revealed that the Oval staff had tried to tell Indian team management when they had gone to check out the wicket to stand two and a half metres away. This had sparked the confrontation between India head coach Gambhir and Fortis, where he can be seen telling the India coach that he will raise a complaint with the match referee. Fortis has been in charge of the pitch at the Oval ion London since 2012, when he was brought on to replace Bill Gordon. Before 2012, Fortis had previously worked as an assistant head groundsman at the Oval before leaving in 2006. He had a stint tending the Honourable Artillery Company ground in the City of London. After taking charge of the Oval ground as Surrey's Head of Ground Staff, Fortis claimed the award for the best multi-day pitches for the third consecutive year at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) 2024 Grounds Manager of the Year Awards last year.
