India will start their white-ball tour Down Under, with a three-match ODI series at Perth. One of the interesting narratives to look at in the series is how Shubman Gill is going to lead the side. Gill, ahead of the game, said he will be taking the suggestions from former skippers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and also mentioned it is an honour to lead the duo.
“These are the players I used to idolize when I was a kid, and the kind of hunger that they had was something that inspired me. It is a big honour for me to be able to lead such legends of the game and learn from them. Even in this series, there will be so many instances where I think I will be able to learn from their experience, and whenever I think I would be in a difficult situation, I wouldn’t shy away from getting any suggestions or advice from them,” said Gill on Star Sports.
“There are some things that I observed as a player, and really liked when I was playing under them. How they converse and what kind of communication or messaging they had with the players is something that helped me get the best out of myself when I was playing under them. As a captain, that is the kind of leader I want to be, where all my players feel secure, and the communication with what I want from them is clear,” he added.
“They are people who have won so many matches in the past. They have been playing for India for the past 10-15 years; the experience they bring to the table is something every captain and every team wants. That’s what we are looking forward to. We want them to go out there and do their magic,” Gill told broadcasters Star Sports after 2-0 win against West Indies in New Delhi.
“The experience the two of them have (is immense), and there are very few players who can match the number of matches they have won for India. There are very few players in the world with such skill and quality along with that experience, and we look at it from that perspective,” Gill said at the start of the same Test match.
“So many qualities that I have inherited from Rohit bhai – the calmness that he possesses, and the kind of friendship that he has among the group is something that I aspire to; these are the qualities that I want to take from him,” he added.
