Shubman Gill steps out of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s shadow: Afghanistan outing marks the arrival of a leader

It won’t be wrong to say that Shubman Gill’s ODI captaincy journey well and truly kick-started against Afghanistan. He may have been made ODI captain last year after the Champions Trophy win, but on Saturday, for the first time he appeared like one. He led the team from the front. His misunderstanding with Rohit Sharma between the wickets was the only blemish. Chasing 195 in a 25-over-a-side game after rain came down for hours at Dharamsala, Gill put on a batting clinic. The required run rate was around 8 right from the outset, and the Indian captain batted with that in mind throughout.

Also Read: Shubman Gill opens up on what Rohit Sharma told him after getting run out cheaply in 1st ODI against Afghanistan

Rohit, Ishan Kishan and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer deserted him after small partnerships, but he stayed till the end, and his 84 not out off 66 balls helped India to a comfortable win. Gill can learn a lot from the Suryakumar Yadav example. Just three months back, Surya led India to a T20I World Cup trophy, but when the team to Ireland and England T20Is was announced earlier this month, not only was he removed from the captaincy but he also lost his place in the side.

Just for one reason: that his bat stopped producing big runs. Back in the day, Sachin Tendulkar, even though the team kept losing under him, managed to keep his place because he was scoring runs like a machine. Twice, he was made captain, and twice he disappointed, but he remained India’s number one batter by a mile. Under Suryakumar, the team won a lot. They became the most dangerous T20I side the world had ever seen, but since he was not contributing enough with the bat, he was done away with after the T20I World Cup.

Last year, when India toured England over a five-Test series, Gill had piled on the runs, and that’s what saved him from criticism. India drew the series 2-2, but they should have won it. Twice, at Headingley and at Lord’s, they should have won. First time, the bowlers disappointed; second time, the batsmen. Because India still managed to draw an important overseas series, and to boot, Gill piled up 754 runs in the series, his leadership was considered a success.

Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir's full backing!

While cricket captains all over the world are under much more pressure than other players in the team, in India, it's another level. There are 1.5 billion people ready to exalt or ridicule you, depending on the nature of your produce.

On Saturday, for the first time, Gill appeared to enjoy the backing of the team management. India chief selector Ajit Agarkar, going by his tenure so far since 2023, likes to give captaincy assignments from one ICC white-ball event to another. The next ODI World Cup is in 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, so Gill has the backing till then, with head coach Gautam Gambhir also on the same page. Unless the team really bombs it, he is set to lead the team in the African continent. He just has to score well and win well. And once he does that, he will have the trust and respect of his teammates and the team management even more.

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