ENG vs IND - Ahead of Headingley Test, Gary Kirsten Heaps Praise On Team India Test Captain Shubman Gill: 'He’s A Smart Cricketer'

India Tour of England: The first Test match between England and India will kick off at Headingley in Leeds from June 20th.

The five-match series between the two cricket giants will be very crucial for Team India as they are currently undergoing a transition phase. It will be the first series for Team India in a long time, where neither the star batters Virat Kohli nor Rohit Sharma will be part of the squad.

Earlier in May, Rohit Sharma took to his official Instagram and announced his retirement from red-ball cricket. Just a few days later, Virat Kohli also bid adieu to Test cricket.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called many youngsters to the squad for the England series to fill the void left by Kohli and Rohit. The upcoming series will be very crucial to see how the team performs with the two big stars.

In a press conference, it was BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar who revealed the 18-member Team India squad for the five-match Test series against the Three Lions. Agarkar also announced Shubman Gill as the new Test captain of the Indian Cricket Team.

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After Gill's appointment, many cricket pundits hailed the 25-year-old for becoming the new Test captain of Team India. Now, former cricketer Gary Kirsten showered praise on Shubman Gill.

Gary Kirsten Showers Praise On Shubman Gill

While speaking to JioHotstar, Gary Kirsten lauded the youngster, saying that Gill will be a great leader. The former cricketer backed Team India's new Test captain for being a smart cricketer.

He added that Shubman Gill is a 'talented' cricketer, and it will help him to lead Team India.

“I think Shubman is going to be a great leader. He’s a smart cricketer—he’s got a good brain for the game and understands his game. He’s very talented and a nice human being, which I think is really important. When you come into these leadership positions, you're going to be put under pressure, and your leadership will be tested. For any young leader," Kirsten said on JioHotstar.

Shubman Gill's Numbers In Red-Ball Cricket

Shubman Gill made his Test debut in 2020 against Australia. In the red-ball cricket, Gill has played 32 matches and 59 innings, scoring 1893 runs at an average of 35.05, at a strike rate of 59.92. The 25-year-old has hammered five centuries and seven fifties in the long format, as of now.