Former batting coach of the Indian cricket team Vikram Rathour predicted that captaincy would get the best out of Shubman Gill after the right-handed batter led India to a 4-1 series win against Zimbabwe in T20Is.
Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka where Gill was named the vice-captaincy for T20Is and ODIs and Rathour has welcomed the decision to give him the role of deputy.
“Whatever I have seen of him, be it for the Gujarat Titans or in Zimbabwe, he did a good job. He has shown terrific body language, which is a must if you are leading a side. Now with the vice-captaincy, the BCCI has given him extra responsibility, and I am sure he will thrive in this role,” Rathour was quoted as saying by Indian Express.
Rathour served as India’s batting coach from 2019 to 2024 and believes that the 24-year-old will only get better in leadership like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma did.
“I feel captaincy brought the best out of Virat and Rohit, and I feel it will do the same for Shubman. Although he is not yet the captain, being in the leadership group will bring the best out of him as well,” Rathour said.
“This is something I am very sure of. When you are in that role, leading others, it gives you that extra bit of responsibility, which is good and I think is great for a young kid like Shubman, who one day might lead India in all three formats.”
Rathour has worked with Gill in the last five years and believes that the 24-year-old’s game awareness and understanding of the game in different situations is impressive.
“When I first saw him in the nets, my first impression was like everybody else’s. I saw exactly what a lot of people were talking about and spoke about his special talent. When the first time I saw him playing, the immediate thought that went into my mind was, ‘Whoa, this kid is extremely talented’.
“What impressed me the most was his game awareness, which is something you don’t generally see in the young cricketers who are coming through the ranks. He knew his game; he understood how he needs to bat in different situations and never shied away from challenges,” he added.
- Shubman Gill
