'He is stepping up to the plate after Hardik Pandya': Moody cautions GT's new captain Gill ahead of IPL 2024

On March 24 (Sunday), Shubman Gill will kickoff his captaincy stint when he takes on the field in Gujarat Titans (GT)'s opening game, where they will meet Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) in match 5 of the upcoming IPL 2024 edition. Gill was named GT's captain after Hardik moved back to his initial franchise MI during the trade window, ahead of IPL 2024 mini-auction in December 2023. Ahead of GT-MI clash, in Ahmedabad, former Australia cricketer Tom Moody opined on Gill taking over from Hardik and cautioned the youngster.

Talking on ESPNCricinfo, Moody said, "For Shubman Gill, it is the unknown. He may have captained at a lower level, but this is a different story, the IPL. And following a very successful two years for Gujarat Titans, he is stepping up to the plate after Hardik Pandya had such an impact as a leader. Can he follow in those footsteps or can he create his own?."

Well, Moody's queries will certainly be answered in the 17th season of the IPL, starting on March 22 (Friday).

Gill has been a force to reckon with for GT ever since the franchise was introduced in the IPL, during the 2022 edition. Being roped in by Gujarat, the right-hander has1,373 runs at a strike rate of 147.79 since 2022. It will be interesting to see how he approaches his game with the additional responsibility. He has captained in the domestic circuit, during the Deodhar and Duleep Trophy.He even captained Punjab during the 2019-2020 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and successfully led India A during their New Zealand tour in 2020.

Ahead of the upcoming season, GT head coach Ashish Nehra opined on Gill as the new captain. He said, "IPL is a fast game, and it throws challenges for everyone. We have seen how Shubman Gill has been playing for three-four years and how he has shaped up. He is 24-25, but he has a good head on his shoulders. We are there to support him. We believe in him. That's why we have made him the captain."

Gill has a herculean task to fill in the big shoes of Hardik, who led the franchise to the championship in their inaugural edition in IPL 2022.

The upcoming season kicks off on Friday evening with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai.