After days of suspense, delays and speculation, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finally announced T20I and ODI squads for the Sri Lanka tour. A quick look and one can understand what led to extended deliberations between BCCI, selectors and newly appointed coach Gautam Gambhir.
Suryakumar Yadav’s elevation to T20I captaincy, Hardik Pandya not featuring in the leadership group, seemingly end of the road for Yuzvendra Chahal, no Ravindra Jadeja in ODIs, Riyan Parag making both squads and wildcard entry for Harshit Rana were few major talking points from the two squads of 15 each but it is one name, with the ‘VC’ in brackets, which signals the direction the Indian cricket team is heading to.
Fresh from leading India to a 4-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe, Shubman Gill has pipped the likes of Rishabh Pant, Pandya (in T20Is) and KL Rahul (in ODIs) for vice-captaincy in both formats. Gill’s upgrade to vice-captain is a big vote of confidence in the youngster who is still finding his feet when it comes to leading the side.
After the retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jadeja from T20Is, Gill is one of the few automatic inclusions across formats. His recent captaincy outings, calm demeanour and a ‘team-first’ attitude made it hard for the Ajit Agarkar-led men’s senior selection committee to ignore.
Not many moons ago, he failed to make it to India’s T20I World Cup squad and travelled as a reserve before being released completely after the group stage. A source close to the player says not once was he crestfallen. He continued to focus on the controllables. He remained in the USA to finish his commercial commitments and spent time with his close friends before resuming business in Zimbabwe.
“Gill is very young but has a very calm and mature head on his shoulders. He knew that the T20 World Cup selection could get a bit 50-50 but not once was he down or sulking. He has always put the team first and even when he was in the US as a reserve, he kept encouraging his teammates. A proper team player is what he is," says a source close to the player.
Whether it’s the outgoing captain’s suggestion, the incoming coach’s push or the unanimous call by the men who matter in the BCCI and the selection committee, Gill’s elevation makes a lot of sense as India’s hunt for the next leader (after Rohit Sharma) gets underway. BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced Rohit as captain for the 2025 Champions Trophy and World Test Championship cycle but the Gill move seems like preparation for life after the Mumbaikar.
As far as cricket is concerned, Gill, just 24, continues to speed along on the upward curve and has had a fruitful last couple of years across formats. From a stellar ODI run in 2023 – scoring 1584 runs at an average of 63.36, to adapting to the challenges of batting at No. 3 in Tests to his first taste of captaincy in the IPL, it’s been a ride filled with challenges but the young gun has found a way to come out on top – more often than not.
Under the new coach, and now leadership group, winds of change have entered the Indian dressing room and it will be interesting to see how these appointments pan out in the near future.
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