New Delhi: Shubman Gill is a “thinking cricketer” but it is difficult to predict whether he would be able to replicate his T20 captaincy success in the Test format if handed the reins of the Indian team, feels Gujarat Titans assistant coach Ashish Kapoor.
Gill, who led GT to the IPL playoffs this season, is being seen as a potential successor to Rohit Sharma in the traditional format following the latter’s recent retirement.
“If you see Shubman as a batsman, or basically as a cricketer, whether he’s a good thinker or not, I think he’s a good thinker of his own game,” Kapoor said at the post-match press conference on Sunday night. “I’ve seen him since the Under-16 days. In fact, I’ve done two camps with him at the NCA. Even back then, he used his brain a lot more than many others his age. And that’s a key quality for a captain — to not just think for yourself but for the ten other players as well, and plan how to win matches.”
India are set to play five Tests in England starting June 20 in Leeds, with the announcement of the new Test captain expected this week.
Asked how Gill may fare as a red-ball captain if given the opportunity, Kapoor said it is difficult to judge leadership capabilities based on limited experience.
“I’m not an astrologer. We’re watching him lead in T20 cricket, but when Dhoni was named captain for the World Cup (in 2007), he hadn’t captained anywhere. Nobody knew back then that he’d go on to become one of the world’s best captains,” said the former India spinner. “If you had asked someone at that time — even Dhoni himself — what they thought of his captaincy, there would’ve been no answer. You have to observe a player over a period of time before making any judgment.”