Former Australia and KKR fast bowler Brett Lee heaped praise on Shubman Gill following Team India’s five-match Test series in England. The recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy marked Gill’s debut as India’s red-ball captain. Lee specifically commended Gill for defending his teammates during the third Test at Lord’s, London.
On Day 3, the 25-year-old skipper had a heated exchange with English opener Zak Crawley after becoming frustrated with Crawley’s time-wasting tactics late in the day. In his latest YouTube video (timestamp 2:38), Lee remarked that Gill handled the situation exactly as a good leader should.
“What happened at Lord’s, a bit of verbals and chat between both sides, I don’t have an issue with that. And the thing with Shubman Gill, he wants to lead from the front. He is the charge of his troops, and if someone has a go at one of his players, he is going to stand up for them. That’s what happened, and that’s what a good leader should do.”
Brett Lee Hails Shubman Gill After India Levels Series 2-2 In England
England won the third Test at Lord’s by 22 runs, leaving India 1-2 down. India bounced back with a thrilling six-run win at The Oval to level the series 2-2. Shubman Gill shone with the bat throughout the tour, and Brett Lee noted that the captaincy brought out the best in him, saying he thrives on responsibility (YouTube, 1:37).
“I think the captaincy is a perfect foil for his style of cricket. The captaincy works for him as a player. There are some captains that when they get the opportunity, don’t score runs or take wickets, but Shubman Gill, I reckon, he loves it. All the people didn’t think that the captaincy would suit Shubman Gill, but I can promise you, it does.”
Acknowledging that Gill commanded the Indian dressing room through his on-field leadership, Lee commented (YouTube, 2:01):
“What it does for the players around him, the respect level goes through the roof. Any captain can give a speech, but if you can’t deliver on the field, talk is cheap. Shubman Gill has the chat, the swagger, and the runs to back it up,” he added.
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