Shubman Gill, a young opener, will captain the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). Following the departure of former captain Hardik Pandya, the announcement was made.
In response to his appointment, Gill claimed that it will not really set in until the Gujarat-based team’s first match of the IPL 2024. The opening batsman also added that captaining an IPL side is a dream come true for any young cricketer.
Shubman Gill remarked in a video sent to the Titans’ social media accounts:
“It’s going to take probably till the time we don’t play the first match. It’s not going to quite sink in. It’s a great feeling. I was about 7 or 8 years old when IPL started. Obviously, it’s a dream for any kid who wants to be a cricketer and who wants to play in the IPL to be able to captain a team. To be able to be that kind of a binding factor in this team, it feels amazing.”
Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill shared his belief that a good leader must possess important qualities such as dedication, faithfulness, discipline, and diligence. He feels that his time spent playing under accomplished captains will positively impact his leadership tenure.
“We all know captainship comes with a lot of things, and commitment is one of them, discipline is one of them, hard work is one of them, and loyalty is one of them,” he continued. “I have played under great leaders and I have learnt a lot from them. I think those learnings that I have had from their experience, and playing under them will help me a lot in this IPL.”
Shubman Gill
Hardik Pandya was moved to his previous team Mumbai Indians (MI) in an all-cash transaction, forcing Gujarat to give up the captaincy to someone else. The Titans won the championship in 2022 and finished second in 2023 under Hardik.
While Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan were thought to be the frontrunners for the leadership post, team management chose Gill to head the team.
“There will be a lot of learnings along the way” – Shubman Gill on his new role
Shubman Gill also mentioned in the video that the presence of experienced campaigners such as Kane Williamson, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, David Miller, and Wriddhiman Saha will be a major asset.
He asked his supporters’ prayers before embarking on his new quest, saying:
“We have great leaders in our team, be it Kane, or be it Rashid bhai, or be it Shami bhai, or even David and Wriddhi bhai, so it’s going to be great. Obviously, there will be a lot of learnings along the way, which is what experience is, and which will be my experience as a captain. I see a lot of people making great memories. For this shub shuruat (auspicious start), I will need your blessings and support.”
Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill was unstoppable in this year’s IPL, scoring three hundreds and four fifties. He won the Orange Cap after scoring 890 runs in 17 appearances at an average of 59.33.
