India head coach Gautam Gambhir has thrown his weight behind Shubman Gill, saying that the young batter can develop into a successful leader in ODIs despite going through a turbulent start to his captaincy journey. Gill's early record as India's ODI captain has not been smooth, with the team winning six of the twelve matches he has led so far. Those outcomes have put his leadership under scrutiny in light of the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup.
However, Gambhir believes the results do not tell the complete story of Gill's development as a captain. Now, India are gearing up for a three-match home ODI series against the West Indies, beginning on September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram. The series will be crucial for Gill in order to strengthen his credentials as captain, with veteran stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also returning to the ODI squad. Gambhir asserted that the presence of Rohit & Virat is a major advantage for Gill as their guidance can help Gill learn more ahead of the World Cup.
“In one-day cricket, when you talk about it, he's very fortunate that he's got the likes of Rohit and Virat to help him on the field and off the field as well. And then, more importantly, I think that calmness, I think keeping the emotions aside, because when you're young, sometimes you can actually get dragged into the emotions as well," Gambhir said on JioHotstar.
Gambhir believed that Gill has displayed calmness, selflessness and aggression when required.
"He has actually ticked all the boxes. He has been calm, he has been selfless, he has been aggressive, he has said the right things… he leads by example, not only by runs."
"So I feel that he has done all the right things. Hopefully, he'll get the results as well because he has had a bit of a tough time in one-day cricket. But I am sure, I think things will turn around because he has done all the right things,” Gambhir said.