Former India batter and commentator Manoj Tiwary believes Shubman Gill is still in the early stages of his development as an ODI captain and would benefit from the support and guidance of experienced players around him. His remarks came after India secured a dominant 3-0 series sweep over Afghanistan at home.
The victory marked Gill’s first ODI series triumph since being handed the captaincy in the middle of 2025. The young opener inherited the role following Rohit Sharma’s tenure, taking charge amid significant expectations. However, his initial assignments proved challenging, with India suffering back-to-back 2-1 series defeats against Australia and New Zealand.
The Afghanistan series, though, provided a much-needed breakthrough for both Gill and the team. Leading from the front, the right-handed batter played a crucial role throughout the three-match contest and ended as the highest run-scorer of the series. His performances helped India complete a comprehensive whitewash and register their first ODI series success under his leadership.
Tiwary acknowledged that captaincy is a skill that develops with experience and suggested that Gill is still learning the demands of the role. While he does not view the Indian skipper as someone who naturally possesses all the qualities of a born leader, he expressed confidence that Gill has the potential to evolve into an effective captain over time.
According to Tiwary, continued exposure to leadership responsibilities and the backing of senior members in the dressing room will play an important part in shaping Gill’s growth as India’s ODI captain in the years ahead.
“This series went well for him as captain. The more series he captains, the better he will get. He is not a ‘born leader’ yet, but he will learn. Everything comes naturally to a born leader, and then there is someone like Shubman Gill who learns with time, and that is why it is important for Rohit and Virat, and even KL to stay in the team and advise him. The mistakes that they made during their captaincy, they will not let him repeat it,” he said on Cricbuzz.
“I think a lot of the boxes are ticked” – Shubman Gill
“Also, when you have so many good players, the pressure of captaincy reduces a bit. When you have the number one pacer and spinner,you just have to bring them on, and they will do their job. So, this is the luxury you have in Team India, because we have top, top players. Bring any bowler at any point of time, they will deliver,” he further added.
However, Team India were at their dominant best in the ODI series, securing a convincing win across all three matches against Afghanistan. The team were able to test their bench strength, as the newcomers made a solid first impression, among other aspects as well.
“A lot of them definitely. I think a lot of the boxes are ticked. We spoke about keeping the intensity in the middle overs and some of the things that we also spoke about was how can we keep creating those opportunities in the middle overs as a bowling unit and as a batting unit, how can we keep pushing for the extra runs in the middle overs. And I think a lot of those boxes were ticked,” Shubman Gill said during the post-match presentation.
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