
Aggression not for everyone: Shubman Gill needs his own voice, not mimic Virat Kohli
This may be a hot take, but the only reason to suggest Gill isn't actively trying to replicate Kohli is that his game might be suffering as a result. Yes, it's entertaining to be the one dishing it out, but when you're on the receiving end of verbal jabs, it's a different game altogether. That's what made Kohli so great: he thrived in the fire. But that style isn't for everyone, and perhaps not for Gill.Before his first Test as captain, Gill had stated that he didn't want to copy anyone's style, instead focusing on being his own man. But is that truly the case?Gill has certainly been more confrontational, a shift from the composed figure we've seen over most of his career. This change should serve as a wake-up call. Opposition players, as Ben Stokes demonstrated on the final day at Lord's, are more than happy to return the favour.Even the great Virender Sehwag, one of India's finest batters, initially struggled with trying to model himself after Sachin Tendulkar. But once he embraced his own identity, he flourished. The parallels for Gill are clear — and perhaps instructive.GILL'S HOSTILE TACTICS BACKFIRED? Former cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Mohammad Kaif, in hindsight, both suggested that Gill's approach — especially his verbal duel with Zak Crawley on Day 3 — might have worked against him.'Gill suddenly looking tentative last evening had a lot to do with the hostility he got at the crease from England. Virat performed better, the angrier he got. Dhoni is the exact opposite. Gill must decide what gets the best out of him as a batter — calmness or anger,' Manjrekar posted on X.'Shubman Gill's fight with Zak Crawley charged England. After Edgbaston, there were questions about their batting, bowling and captaincy. But that incident fired up Stokes, and he bowled an inspiring spell. It is wise to stick to the attitude that works for you. Gill will learn this the hard way,' Kaif echoed.'What would have fired him up in this game was the Indian team targeting Zak Crawley in that one over,' Broad said on Sky Sports Cricket. 'It was great fun, brilliant to watch, but he wouldn't have liked the fact that one of his players was out there alone, with just Ben Duckett for company, and the team going at him'. advertisementGill however, defended himself and suggested that those few minutes of play cannot determine an entire Test match. Instead he pointed out other moments that could have turned the result in their favour. 'No, five minutes can't define five days of hard work. If you ask me about key moments, that wouldn't even be in my top five. For us, Rishabh's run-out was more crucial. At one point, we felt we could get a 50–100 run lead, which would've been massive on Day 5 when batting gets tough. That was a big turning point," Gill said at the post-match press conference. Only time will tell if Gill can carve out his own identity as a Test captain. Since taking over, he has looked eager to take England head-on a trait that could either define or derail this early chapter of his leadership.With two Tests still to play, Gill has the chance to quiet his critics, including me. A series win would put many of these concerns to rest. One thing, however, is clear: this Indian Test team is full of fighters. The challenge for Gill is not to become someone else, but to channel that fight in a way that stays true to who he really is.- EndsTune InMust Watch

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
27 minutes ago
- Hans India
Badminton Asia Juniors Individual C'ships: Tanvi, Vennala advance to QF; Bhargav & Viswa Tej progress to Rd-of-16
Solo (Indonesia): India's young shuttlers continued their impressive run at the Badminton Asia Juniors Individual Championships 2025, with Tanvi Sharma, Vennala Kalagotla and the top-seeded men's doubles pair of Bhargav Ram and Viswa Tej leading the charge in Solo, Indonesia. Second seed Tanvi Sharma showcased her dominance in the women's singles category, overcoming China's Shi Si Chen 21-19, 21-14 in the Round of 32, followed by a commanding 21-14, 21-15 win over Thailand's Phannachet Passa-Orn in the Round of 16 to book her place in the quarterfinals. Vennala, meanwhile, won back-to-back rounds for a second consecutive day to book her spot in the last eight. In men's doubles, top seeds Bhargav Ram and Viswa Tej comfortably defeated Japan's Haru Masuda and Shogo Miyashita 21-15, 21-15 to advance to the Round of 16. The World No. 1 Indian pair will now face China's Wen Xin and Wei Gang Zheng later today for a place in the quarterfinals. Elsewhere in men's singles, Rounak Chouhan edged Thailand's Utchan Ruaysap 25-23, 21-18, while Ansh Negi registered a 21-14, 21-16 win over Vietnam's Le Minh Son, with both advancing to the Round of 16. In women's doubles, the duo of Vennala Kalagotla and Reshika U cruised past Hong Kong China's Au-Yeung Wing Chi and Yi Kiu Yu 21-7, 21-16 to secure their Round-of-16 berth. Meanwhile, Pranauv Ram Nagalingam concluded his campaign in the Round of 16, while Himar Lalthazuala, Tanvi Reddy Andluri, and the mixed doubles pair of Vishnu Kedhar Kode and Keerthy Manchala bowed out in the Round of 32. Several Indian shuttlers will be in Round of 16 action later in the day.


Hans India
27 minutes ago
- Hans India
4th Test: Duckett and Crawley take England to a rapid 77/0, trail India by 281 runs
Manchester: Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley got England off to a flying start as the hosts' reached a rapid 77/0 in 14 overs and trail India by 281 runs at tea on day two of fourth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Old Trafford on Thursday. Skipper Ben Stokes previously led the way for England with 5-72 as they bowled out India for 358 in 114.1 overs. For India, vice-captain Rishabh Pant astonishing everyone by coming out to bat despite a fractured fifth metatarsal in the right foot, hit a brave 54 off 75 balls – a knock which will be talked for ages to come. Questions were around how the Indian bowlers would make use of bowler-friendly conditions, but Crawley and Duckett, unbeaten on 33 and 46 respectively, came out all guns blazing by feasting on the inconsistent lines and lengths from the tourists' bowling line-up. Duckett laid the platform for England by hitting four boundaries off debutant Anshul Kamboj, before glancing Jasprit Bumrah for three boundaries. While Duckett has feasted on anything on his legs, Crawley took a liking to Mohammed Siraj's freebies and hit three boundaries. The duo would take a four each off Siraj and Kamboj to ensure England hit a great punch till tea break came. Previously, Pant, who retired hurt on 37 after the painful blow to the foot on day one, added 17 more runs to India's total and that meant they managed to cross 350-run mark. The second session began with Washington Sundar getting a healthy edge off Stokes for four, before he hooked a short ball from Chris Woakes to deep fine leg and fall for 27 off 90 balls. Stokes completed his first five-wicket haul in eight years when his outswinger took an edge of Kamboj's bat and was caught safely by Jamie Smith. Pant finally got the timing right when he nailed a pull off Archer for six and reached his 18th Test fifty in 69 balls by reaching out to Stokes' wide ball and sent it cracking through cover for four. But for the second consecutive time, Archer sent Pant's off-stump on a cartwheel ride, as hit gutsy knock came to an end at 54 off 75 balls and received rousing reception from the spectators. Siraj and Bumrah hanged around to hit a boundary each, before the latter swung a leg-side delivery off Archer and the ball was caught by Smith. After Root persuaded to go for a review, that proved to be a shrewd move as a nick was detected and resulted in India's innings coming to an end, with Archer taking 3-75. Brief Scores: India 358 in 114.1 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58; Ben Stokes 5-72, Jofra Archer 3-73) lead England 77/0 in 14 overs (Ben Duckett 46 not out, Zak Crawley 33 not out) by 281 runs


Hindustan Times
27 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
ACC meet: No official word yet on India's Asia Cup in UAE
Mumbai: The build up to Thursday's Asian Cricket Council (ACC) AGM in Dhaka was marked by simmering tensions between the Indian and Pakistani cricket board and concluded with no official announcement of the 2026 T20 Asia Cup, slated to begin in the second week of September. The election of the ACC Vice President was also not taken up and the meeting was adjourned. Representational image: A logo of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). (REUTERS) It is understood further deliberations are required for the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup to come into force for which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have the hosting rights . 'We are in consultations with the BCCI and hopefully we will resolve the (issues) very soon,' Mohsin Naqvi, Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and ACC told reporters after the meeting. For the tournament to remain commercially attractive, retaining the current structure where both India and Pakistan start in the same group to facilitate a return clash of the arch rivals in the next round and a possible third clash in the final is important. While many ACC members say, the Indian board is on board with the idea in principle, all BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia would say after the meet is 'an announcement will be made in the coming days'. The revenue generated from the men's Asia Cup is insignificant for the well-placed BCCI, but it matters more to all the other ACC member boards. In May, when reports emerged that India would say no to playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup, Saikia had rubbished those reports and said they had not had any discussions on the matter. After the brief armed conflict between Indian and Pakistan in May, dark clouds circled around the possibility of any cricket between the two neighbouring nations. Following a ceasefire, as time passed, the previously agreed understanding of India-Pak contests in multinational tournaments at a neutral venue was back in discussions. Pakistan will be playing their matches of the upcoming ICC women's World Cup to be hosted by India in Colombo. For the upcoming men's Asia Cup, the entire tournament is likely to be moved to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in UAE. While the ACC in its press release reaffirmed members' commitment of 'putting cricket first', that was hardly evident based on events that led up to the meeting. Geo politics writ large over proceedings. First, Naqvi scheduled the meeting in Dhaka against BCCI's wishes. As the Indian cricket officials were unwilling to travel to Dhaka because of strained India-Bangladesh political relations, they made failed attempts to outlaw the meeting. Ultimately, India attended the AGM virtually, with BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla logging in. Cricket in 2026 Asian Games The ACC announced the inclusion of cricket in the upcoming Asian Games 2026 to be held in Japan, which will see ten men's and eight women's teams participating from across the continent, to be chosen based on their rankings. Previously, cricket has been a medal discipline in three editions - 2010, 2014 and 2023. Among other outcomes, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines were added to the 25-member ACC.