Since taking over as captain of the Indian Test team, Shubman Gill has impressed with his performances with the bat. In the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, he has notched up three centuries in the first three Test matches. However, while his batting form has grabbed headlines, his leadership journey is still a work in progress.
Former Indian coach and 2011 World Cup winner Gary Kirsten shared his thoughts on Gill’s captaincy in an interview with Rediff.
“Well, it’s early days. I think he’s got great potential. Captaincy is a whole lot of things that you’ve got to put together. He’s a great thinker in the game. He’s a good player himself. But there’s a whole bunch of things you’ve got to get right. And I think man management is going to play, like any leader,” Kirsten said.
“Dhoni was an incredible man-manager” – Kirsten
Kirsten drew comparisons to former captain MS Dhoni and said that Gill could take inspiration from his leadership style.“Dhoni was an incredible man-manager. If he can get that component of his leadership really fired up, I think he has all the credentials to become a great captain for India.”
Kirsten also commented on Gautam Gambhir, who recently took over as India’s red-ball coach. Gambhir’s start has been a tough one, with India losing two major Test series. Kirsten admitted he hasn’t seen Gambhir in his coaching role yet.
“Well, I don’t know Gautam, the coach, at all,” he said. However, Kirsten was full of praise for Gambhir the player.“Gautam, the player, I absolutely loved. He’s got a toughness to him that is very useful. I think he’s really strong. But he’sgot a personality and he’s got a style. The big thing is does that personality and style connect with Indian players?”
He concluded by saying, “I’m thoroughly fond of Gautam and I just hope that he’s getting the support he needs…”
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