Shubman Gill Earns Gavaskar’s Praise Amid Test Captaincy Speculations: ‘Hallmark of a True Leader’

Shubman Gill Earns Gavaskar’s Praise Amid Test Captaincy Speculations: Shubman Gill received an enormous endorsement of his captaincy in IPL 2025 from batting great Sunil Gavaskar after the Gujarat Titans qualified for the playoffs by beating the Delhi Capitals. Shubman has done well with his captaincy this season, being first on the points table with 18 points in 12 games.

The young and talented batter is also in contention to be the next India Test captain after Rohit Sharma recently said goodbye to the red-ball format, with speculation in the air that Shubman is set to take the ball for the Test series against England next month.

Shubman has been captain of the Titans for the second time, and after an underwhelming command last season, he has shown great signs as captain this season, leading his team from the front. He had made 601 runs in 12 games and has formed a formidable opening pair with current orange-cap holder Sai Sudharsan.

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Gavaskar was extremely impressed with Gill's leadership and said the young leader gets joy in his teammates receiving the accolades.

"That's the hallmark of a true leader. A true leader never seeks the spotlight. He takes joy in his teammates receiving the recognition. That's what Shubman has done brilliantly this season," Gavaskar told JioStar after Gujarat sealed a place in the IPL 2025 playoffs.

While chasing a par 200 in Delhi, Sudharsan (108) and Shubman (93*) opened up historically and closed down the chase in 19 overs. This chase ranks the highest Successful IPL chase with no wickets down.

Gavaskar attributed credit to Shubman for supporting Sudharsan from the other side when Kuldeep Yadav was troubling in the middle.

"From the non-striker's end, he was constantly encouraging him. When Kuldeep was bowling, there were subtle signals," Gavaskar explained.

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‘You could see Shubman making small movements…’

Shubman and Sudharsan are becoming some of the most consistent pairings at the start of the innings in this league, and the calmness in which they complement each other has really stood out.

Sudharsan-Gavaskar was searched for another input from the other end. Shubman then helped Sudharsan gain more confidence with a few encouraging talks inside the middle.

"There was a phase when Sai found it tough to pick him initially. You could see Shubman making small movements with his gloves, little cues, essentially telling him, 'Don't stop playing your shots - just be a tad more cautious with this bowler. That's what impressed me most about Shubman, aside from the brilliant shots and those massive sixes. I think he told Sai, 'You go for the sixes, I'll stick to the boundaries,'" he added.

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