'This veteran made a big statement about the Gautam Gambhir-Shubman Gill pair, said - big names are gone...
IND vs ENG, India vs England Test series: Manjrekar compared Gill's appointment to the appointment of Mohammad Azharuddin as captain in 1989, when Krishnamachari Srikkanth was suddenly removed.
India has brought about a change in the Test cricket landscape under the leadership of Shubman Gill, and former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar is sure about the exciting and successful combination of his partnership with head coach Gautam Gambhir. With Gill as the skipper, India are scheduled to play the inaugural match of the five-Test match series with England at the Headingley Ground in Leeds on June 20. This will also mark the beginning of the new cycle of the World Test Championship (2025-27).
In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar said that Gautam Gambhir finds comfort and pleasure in working with young captains. Citing the example of the T20 format, he said, "You will see him captaining in T20 with Suryakumar Yadav, just like he will in Test cricket with Gill. As a coach, he likes to develop rapport with young captains, and the same thing will be seen between him and Gill as well."
Manjrekar compared Gill's appointment to the appointment of Mohammad Azharuddin as captain in 1989, when Krishnamachari Srikkanth was suddenly removed. He said, "At that time also the team also had nothing to lose. Today, Gill also has the same freedom and opportunity to start fresh. The team is young, full of enthusiasm. This is the beginning of a new direction."
After the sudden retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Tests, India found themselves in a transition period.
Jasprit Bumrah had the possibility of captaincy at this time, but he refused to take the responsibility, keeping in mind his injury history. According to Manjrekar, "When the big names stepped down and Bumrah did not take the captaincy, Gill became the natural choice. And when the selectors make such a big decision, they stick to it. This will give Gill confidence, not pressure."
Gill has so far scored 1893 runs in 32 matches in Tests at an average of 35.06. During this, he has also scored five centuries and seven half-centuries. Even at the beginning of his career, Gill already has leadership experience, having captained the Gujarat Titans to the playoffs of IPL 2025.
