No favours given to Gill, he’s earned the right to lead India’, insists Gambhir

New Delhi: India head coach Gautam Gambhir had nothing but praise for skipper Shubman Gill as he lauded the young captain's composure, hard work and leadership during what he called "the toughest test of his career" in England. Speaking on his 44th birthday, Gambhir said Gill has already proved his mettle as a leader and earned every bit of his place as India's skipper.

After India's clean Test series sweep over the West Indies, the former cricketer was quick to brush off any talk that Gill's elevation to captaincy was a favour or experiment. "No one has done Shubman any favour by appointing him captain. He deserves every bit of it,” he said. "He has worked extremely hard and already passed his biggest challenge that five-Test tour of England in tough conditions.”

Gill's leadership in the England series, which ended 2-2, was a major talking point throughout the cricketing world. The young batter not only managed the pressure of captaining away from home but also led from the front, scoring 754 runs in the series.

According to Indian head coach, no assignment could have been tougher for Gill than leading India in a two-month-long series against a strong England side. "Five Tests in those conditions against that team it doesn’t get harder than that,” he said. "Sometimes we only focus on the captain but the way the group responded to him is equally important.”

Gambhir credited Gill's ability to stay composed and communicate clearly with teammates, noting that the respect he commands in the dressing room has been earned through actions as much as performances. "You earn respect by scoring runs, yes, but also by saying the right things and doing the right things. Your actions matter more than anything,” he said. "He’s done phenomenally well, and so has the group.”

Gambhir's words reflect the growing trust in Gill's leadership among both players and management. His performances with the bat and calm temperament have quickly established him as the face of India's new generation of cricketers.

As India prepares for a hectic season, including the ODI series in Australia starting October 19, Gambhir stressed the importance of staying in the present. "I’m not thinking about the World Test Championship final in 2027 right now. That’s still far away. For us, the focus is to keep performing and winning series,” he said.

On a lighter note, when he was asked if he planned to bring in a mental conditioning coach to support Gull as an all-format leader, Gambhir joked, "First and foremost, I need one myself. When the team wins, everyone’s in a good space but when it doesn’t, I’m the one who has to keep them there.”

The remark clearly summed up Gambhir's mindset, and under his watch, Shubman Gill's rise as captain looks anything but accidental, as it has been earned, not handed.