Ahead Of England Tour, Captain Shubman Gill Urged To Follow Virat Kohli's Footsteps: 'It's A Rare Opportunity'

Shubman Gill will be the centre of attraction in the upcoming five-match Test series between India and England. As Team India enter a transition period, the 37th Test captain will have the onus to navigate through all the challenges.

Shubman Gill Urged To Follow Virat Kohli's Footsteps

Following successive Test series defeats against New Zealand and Australia, the pressure will be on India to rectify the loopholes ahead of the start of the new World Test Championship cycle. With no Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin in the squad, senior players need to take more responsibility. Gill's leadership ability will be put through a huge test when the first Test match kicks off in Headingley on June 20.

Also Read: KL Rahul Warms Up For England Series With Gritty Knock For India A, Stamps Up Authority With Resilient Century Against England Lions

Former Indin cricketer Aakash Chopra feels Gill should take inspiration from ex-Test skipper Virat Kohli. In an interaction on JioHotstar, he said, “You can take inspiration from Virat Kohli's success, his hunger for runs, his leadership—but not necessarily his batting number. That's a very individual choice. Similarly, Shubman should play where he contributes best.”

“Batting position isn't about copying someone—it's about where you fit in the team and how it benefits the side. Learn from Kohli's mindset, play with an extra bowler if needed. That's what leaders do—make sacrifices for the team.”

Also Read: England Lions Assert Control as They Wrap Up India A’s First Innings; Abhimanyu Easwaran’s Side Scores 348

Shubman Gill's Batting Position Remains A Mystery

It won't be an easy task to fix the batting order, as India picked the likes of Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who are in contention to make their Test debut. KL Rahul made a stunning return to red ball cricket with a brilliant century for India A against the England Lions while Dhruv Jurel also staked his claim wth a hat-trick of half-centuries on English soil.  Shubman Gill's batting position remains uncertain. The newly appointed captain played at number 3 in the last WTC cycle, but with Virat Kohli retired, he might take the number 4 position from the English series.