India all-rounder Axar Patel believes that the newly-appointed ODI captain Shubman Gill has a great opportunity to begin his captaincy journey with the seniors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli around to share their experiences with him.
In the pre-match press conference before the first ODI of the three-match series in Australia, Axar said: “That’s a great example for Shubman. I think both Rohit and Virat are there. We are seeing the transition happening,” he told.
“And it’s good that the seniors are with the youngsters at this phase. The youngsters will know how to handle situations. The discussions in the dressing room are always about what to do and what not to do on the field. It’s a perfect situation for Shubman Gill because he has both Rohit and Virat in the dressing room. For him to grow as captain, this is a great opportunity. It’s a perfect mix of youngsters and seniors, and we will surely gel well.”
The stylish right-hander was given the captaincy ahead of the Australia tour, and with that, Rohit’s tenure as the skipper came to an end. Some of the experts were of the opinion that India should have continued with Rohit in charge of the team.
Gill has had a good start to his Test captaincy journey, as under his leadership, India levelled the series after fighting through tough situations in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, and they whitewashed West Indies 2-0.
Axar praised Gill’s ability to handle pressure and also revealed that the senior players are taking responsibility to share their experience with the youngsters.
“He is not being pressured after taking up the role as captain. That’s a good quality. I played with other captains. Now, the younger players are coming. This is a transition period. We are sharing knowledge with the youngsters. We are talking about the style of play. The youngsters, because they are playing in the IPL, are ready to go straightaway.”
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