SL vs IND: Vice captain Shubman Gill addresses the Press Conference ahead of their T20I series against Sri Lanka
Shubman Gill Pic:X
Xtra Time Web Desk: Shubman Gill, the promising Indian cricketer, has expressed his admiration for Gautam Gambhir, the newly appointed head coach of the Indian team. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Gill, who has been named vice-captain for both the T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka, lauded Gambhir's clear and concise approach to the game.
"This is the first time I am working with him (Gambhir)," Gill said, as quoted by PTI. "But during those two net sessions, his intent and communication have been very clear. He is very clear about which player he wants to work with at a particular time and on which areas he wants to work with him."
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Gill believes Gambhir's straightforward style will be invaluable as the team prepares for upcoming challenges in Sri Lanka and beyond. The young batsman also shared his personal ambitions, aiming to establish himself as a versatile player across all formats. "We are the world champions and we will look to play accordingly, and, hopefully, we will have more success under the new coaching staff," he added.
Despite being part of the Indian squad as a travelling reserve during the T20 World Cup, Gill could not secure a spot in the final 15-man roster. Acknowledging this as an area for improvement, Gill is determined to enhance his skills and become an indispensable member of the team. "During the matches before the T20 World Cup, I could not perform to the level that I was expecting from myself. In the upcoming cycle where we will play 30-40 T20Is, I will try to improve my performance as a batsman," he said.
Gill is also looking forward to the upcoming five-match Test tour to Australia and the subsequent Champions Trophy. "We are playing some 10 (Test) matches before January, and I am looking forward to it, especially five of them in Australia. After that, we are playing the Champions Trophy which would be really exciting. But these six matches (3 T20Is and 3 ODIs against Sri Lanka) are very crucial riding into the Test matches," he noted.
When asked about the additional pressure of being vice-captain, Gill downplayed any concerns. "It (vice-captaincy) doesn't change much. When I bat out there, I still need to perform and I need to win matches for the team. But when you are out on the field, you need to make a bit more decisions, and that's the only difference," he explained. Gill also highlighted the similar thinking processes of Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav, the limited-overs captain. "I think everybody is on the same page. I have played under Surya bhai, and I think both their (Gambhir and Suryakumar) way of communication and thinking is similar."
Following Rohit Sharma's retirement from T20Is, Gill will partner with Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order. Confident in their pairing, Gill said, "We really enjoy batting with each other, especially the kind of shots that we both play, we complement each other. And being the right-left combination…our partnership has been good in the matches we have played together. I think we have two 150-run partnerships. We have a very good understanding and communication between us and that's very enjoyable."
Gill also expressed his admiration for Abhishek Nayar, the newly appointed assistant coach of India, with whom he had previously worked at the Kolkata Knight Riders. "He (Nayar) puts in a lot of effort on the ground. He stays with the players until they are satisfied with their own skills. It's his biggest plus point," Gill added.
