Indian opener Shubman Gill was chosen the new captain of the Gujarat Titans (GT), following the loss of Hardik Pandya, who was moved to the Mumbai Indians (MI) in an all-cash transaction.
Kane Williamson, a senior hitter from New Zealand, will continue to represent Gujarat in the forthcoming Indian Premier League season (IPL 2024). When asked about the captaincy shift, Williamson had high comments for Gill.
In an interview with PTI, Williamson stated:
“It is really an exciting opportunity for Shubman, a world-class player and a great thinker of the game as well. As a team, we are focusing what’s in front of us in the roles that we have, and it is a fantastic support staff.”
Kane Williamson
Gujarat won the championship in 2022, their first season. They followed up with a second-place result in 2023. It remains to be seen how they do in the next season under Shubman Gill’s guidance.
Shubman Gill has been Gujarat’s star batsman so far. The right-handed hitter is the team’s best run scorer, with 1373 runs in 33 matches.
The brilliant youth dominated the IPL 2023, winning the Orange Cap. Gill scored 890 runs over 17 innings, at an average of 59.33. He accumulated three centuries and four fifties in the edition.
Tom Moody’s Perspective on Shubman Gill’s IPL 2024 Captaincy
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody says Shubman Gill faces a difficult assignment, implying that captaining an IPL side would not be an easy achievement.
He mentioned how Gill replaces someone like Hardik Pandya, who did an excellent job guiding the team throughout his two-year tenure. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Moody stated:
“For Shubman Gill, it is the unknown. He may have captained at a lower level but this is a different story, the IPL. And following a very successful two years for Gujarat Titans, he is stepping up to the plate after Hardik Pandya had such an impact as a leader, can he follow in those footsteps or can he create his own?”
Tom Moody
On Sunday, March 24, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians will play their inaugural IPL 2024 encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.