Harare, Zimbabwe

Shubman Gill admits taking inspiration from former skippers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as he begins his captaincy stint with the Zimbabwe T20Is starting Saturday (July 6) in Harare. With Virat and Rohit announcing their T20I retirements following the World Cup win in Barbados, the Indian Team is without a permanent captain in the format, with BCCI set to announce the new coach and T20I skipper soon.

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In the absence of first-team players, Gill will lead a young 15-man squad in Zimbabwe. Talking about the pressure of delivering as an Indian captain and more so as a player, Gill talks about how tough it is to replicate what Virat and Rohit have done for India. 

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Speaking to the media ahead of the 1st T20I in Harare, Gill said, “Pressure and expectations…they, I think, always remain. But what Virat Bhai and Rohit Bhai have achieved, if I look to achieve that or reach that, it will be very difficult for me.”

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“Every player has his own goal, where he wants to reach. That is the pressure. If you want to reach where other people have reached, then you have more pressure.

“Obviously, there is pressure. But what they’ve achieved or what they did for India…they are both idols and legends of Indian cricket. But as players and the team the things we want to achieve, there is definitely pressure about that,” Gill continued.

Looking at the future of Indian Cricket, Gill is the brightest prospect to lead the side across formats. Having stamped his authority as one of the best youngsters rising from the ranks, Gill has plenty riding on his shoulders. 

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IPL experience counts

Although he’s been around the Indian cricket circuit for the past few years, Gill was offered captaincy at Gujarat Titans in the IPL this year. The India international showed improvement in his leadership skills with each passing game. 

However, with him leading the Indian T20I side for the first time, Gill understands the gravity of it.

Crediting IPL for being able to manage the pressure at the big stage, Gill said,

“I’ve learnt a lot of lessons when I captained my IPL team for the first time. I got to know a lot more things about myself and a lot more things about the leadership perspective,” Gill said.

“I felt most of the challenges that you face as a captain are more mental, how you prepare the boys. Everyone’s got the skill set, it’s about how you can give them (other players) the confidence to be able to deliver that skill set on the field,” he concluded.

(With inputs from agencies)