India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill, made it clear that a Test series victory in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) is a bigger accomplishment than an IPL title. Speaking ahead of the first Test in Leeds, Gill said, “Definitely the Test Series, in my opinion,” when asked to compare the two achievements.
He explained that while the IPL takes place every year, winning a Test series in challenging conditions abroad is rare and significant. “You don’t get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England, maybe two (tours) if you are the best of your generation, (or) maybe three,” he said. “IPL comes every year and you get to have a crack at it every year. In my opinion, winning a Test Series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa (collectively SENA countries) is bigger,” he added.
Leading Without Baggage and Setting New Ideals
Gill believes his young team has an advantage because of their fresh mindset. “A lot of people talk about, you know, our side is not experienced, but there are also positives that we don’t really have any baggage coming to England, because not all of the players have really been to England,” he said.
“So that could be one thing that really makes a difference for us because we wouldn’t be carrying any baggage,” he added. He shared that the team will draw inspiration from the mindset built over the past decade. “The blueprint which we have got from our seniors in the last 5-10 years is that we can go and win anywhere, we will try to follow that with same confidence.”
Gill also revealed that after Kohli’s retirement from Tests, he and head coach Gautam Gambhir agreed that No. 4 was the best position for him. “After Virat Bhai retired, me and GG (Gautam Gambhir) bhai had a discussion about it and we were both clear that he wanted me to bat at No. 4 and I was also clear that I also wanted to bat at that number,” he said.
Leadership Style and Lessons from Seniors
Shubman Gill said that as captain, his goal is to create a supportive environment for players. “If we succeed in creating that environment, then I think our Test series and WTC cycle will be very successful,” he said. He underlined the importance of backing talent and being honest in communication.
“It’s about (having) clear communication; what you want from them? Trying to assign roles, how they would want to go about their things. Having the confidence to be able to back them with their natural game (as to) how they want to play this game,” he said.
“Definitely there would be some players that you tend to give long ropes just because of their pure potential that you see. But having said that, it’s all about giving them clear communication and having honest conversations with them and that’s how I feel the bond of a leader and a player is (at) the best,” he added.
Gill also mentioned that he spoke to Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the IPL to understand English conditions better. “I met both of them in the IPL and they told me about their experiences, especially here in England, and some of the challenges that we might face here,” he said.
He compared the upcoming series to the one against England in India, saying, “I think the Test series that we played against England in India (2023-24) was one of the best that I have been part of and even in that Test series, not many of our senior players were available in every match. How we went about (in) that series was the way that I think the series is also going to be.”
Gill concluded by saying that due to a drier English summer, they waited longer to finalize their playing XI. “We actually were waiting, this summer has been a little bit different to the other English summers and it’s been a little bit dry. I was just waiting to see the wicket one last time to see the final combinations and decide on that,” he said.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
