Shubman Gill reacts to being appointed India's Test captain

Speaking in his first interview since being appointed captain of the Indian Test side, India’s star batter, Shubman Gill shared his thoughts with BCCI.tv, reflecting on the responsibility, the legacy he inherits and the road ahead.

Gill was announced as the next Test captain of India while the BCCI announced their 18-men unit for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, that will also mark the beginning of the next World Test Championship cycle.

"It is definitely a bit overwhelming," Gill said. "As a young kid when anyone starts playing cricket, they want to play for India and not just play for India, play Test cricket for a very long time.

“To be able to get this opportunity is a great honour and it's a big responsibility. I'm looking forward to this exciting opportunity and the upcoming series against England is going to be an exciting one.”

As captain, Gill emphasised the importance of leadership beyond just runs and results, expressing a philosophy rooted in discipline and connection.

“I believe in leading by example, not just by performance, but I think off the field by discipline and hard work. As a captain, a leader should be able to know when to step in and also when to give space to the players.

“A good leader should always be able to know what makes his players be able to have the best performance or the best outcome.

“That is always exciting to people to have those conversations with the players, to be able to know them on a deeper level than just cricket, you know, because then you're really able to know what can get the best out of them.”

Gill further spoke about maintaining mental clarity as a batter while captaining.

The 25-year-old has lit up the Indian Premier League this season both as a batter and captain. Gujarat Titans currently sit atop the standings, while Gill is placed second in the highest run-getters list, only topped by teammate Sai Sudharsan, who has also earned his maiden call-up to the Test side.

“One of the things that I learned was if I'm a batsman, I'm batting out there, I want to be able to make decisions as a batsman and not as a captain.

“If I start thinking about other things, it just puts more pressure on me, which is not required, you know, because when you're batting out there, you want to be able to take those risks.

“You want to be able to make decisions that you would make when you are playing just as the batsman, because that gives you the freedom.”

Gill credited India’s recent Test captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for shaping his understanding of captaincy and preparing the team for success, especially in overseas conditions.

Both the veteran stars announced their retirement from the longest format of the game on May 7 and May 12 respectively, leaving behind an unmatched legacy in white-ball cricket.

“When I was a kid, I was always inspired by the greats and the legends of Indian cricket and been very fortunate to be able to play with so many of them.

“Be it Virat bhai or Rohit bhai, both were very contrasting in terms of the style, but it was very inspiring to see both of them working towards a common goal. You want to be able to win as a captain, and your styles can be different, but they both were very different, but also similar in their own sense.

“Virat bhai was always very aggressive, always wanting to lead from the front with hunger and passion.

“Rohit Bhai was someone who was very calm and technically, always very present, and he's very communicative to the players, what he wants from the players. And so these are the qualities that I learned from them.

“Guys like Virat bhai, Rohit bhai and Ashwin bhai, they have given us a blueprint on how to tour away from home and win matches and series.

“It's one thing to be able to deliver and execute, but because we have that blueprint, we know how to tour away from home and win matches and series.

Looking ahead to the five-Test series in England, Gill is eager to take on the challenge head-on. Gill has happy recent memories against England where he was the second-highest run-getter in the five-match series at home, with 452 runs coming across nine innings.

"My favourite series that I played was also a five-Test match series when England came to India. There's a different essence when you are playing a five-Test series. It's long, it's mentally and physically very challenging.

“That's the most exciting thing that I find about red-ball cricket. It's not going to be easy, but I think we're ready for any challenge."