‘I believe in leading by example, not just by performance’: Shubman Gill on vision as Test captain | WATCH

Mumbai: As Indian cricket prepares to enter a fresh chapter in the red-ball format, newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill has spoken candidly about the honour of leading the national team and the responsibilities that come with it. Gill will captain a revamped Indian squad on their five-match Test tour of England in June, marking the beginning of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.

With stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin having retired from Test cricket following a dismal tour of Australia, Gill’s appointment signals a generational shift at the top. Reflecting on this milestone in a video shared on the Indian cricket team’s official Instagram page, the 24-year-old described the moment as “a bit overwhelming”.
 

“As a young kid, when anyone starts playing cricket, they want to play for India, and not just play for India, but play Test cricket for India for a very long time. To be able to get this opportunity is a great honour. And like you said, it is a big responsibility,” Gill said.

He called the upcoming tour of England an “exciting opportunity” and emphasised the importance of setting an example not just through performance, but through values.

“I believe in leading by example, not just by performance, but I think off the field by discipline and hard work,” he added.

Gill also spoke about the importance of understanding players on a personal level, noting that leadership is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

“Everyone has a different personality. So a good leader should always be able to know what makes his players to be able to have the best performance or the best outcome. That is always exciting... to be able to know them on a deeper level than just cricket.”

Having already led Gujarat Titans in the IPL and briefly captained India in T20Is during the Zimbabwe tour, Gill said these experiences taught him how to mentally separate his batting from the captaincy.

“If I start thinking about other things, it just puts more pressure on me… because when you are batting out there, you want to be able to take those risks… make decisions that you would make when you are playing, just as a batsman… that gives you the freedom.”

Gill also reflected on the leadership styles of his predecessors, drawing inspiration from both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

“Virat Bhai was always very aggressive. Always wanting to lead from the front with hunger and passion. Whereas Rohit Bhai was also aggressive, but you might not see that in their reaction or in their expressions… very calm and tactically always very present… very communicative to the players.”

He credited the trio of Rohit, Virat and Ashwin for leaving behind a “blueprint” for overseas success and recalled his favourite Test experience — the five-match home series against England in 2024, where he amassed 452 runs at an average of 56.50, including two centuries and two fifties.

“There is a different essence when you're playing a five-Test match series… It is long, it is mentally and physically very challenging. And I think that is the most exciting part about Test cricket… It is not one-dimensional.”

Looking ahead to the England tour, Gill expressed confidence in the squad’s ability to step up.

“It is not going to be easy, but I think we are ready for any challenge.”

India Test squad for England tour:

Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.