Sunil Gavaskar's advice to new Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill: ‘Behave in a way that other players respect you’

Shubman Gill will need to behave in a certain way to earn respect from his team members, opined legendary Sunil Gavaskar as the Indian cricket enters a new era following the Test retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The 25-year-old Gill, who made his Test debut in 2020, was named India's new captain in red-ball cricket, starting with tour of England, that starts on June 20.

One of the rising stars in Indian cricket, Gill deemed perfect for the Indian selectors to lead a team in transition. Reacting on Gill's appointment as the Test captain, Gavaskar, explained the difference between a captain and being a member of the team.

“There is always pressure on the player who gets elected as India's captain, as there is a big difference between being a member of the team and being the captain," Gavaskar told Sports Tak.

For a captain, one should be a leader in the way he interacts with his players and shields his troops from all the adversities. Gavaskar stated, for Gill, his behaviour is most important than his performance.

“Because when you are a team member, you generally just interact with players close to you, but when you become the captain, you should behave in a way that the other players in the team respect you, and a captain's behavior is more important than his performance," he added.

Shubman Gill wants to lead by example

Meanwhile, Gill wants to lead India by example not just by performance but also by discipline and hard work. "To be able to get this opportunity is a great honor... it's a big responsibility," Gill said in a video by BCCI.

"I'm looking forward to this exciting opportunity, and I think the upcoming series in England is going to be a very exciting one. 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, but also when to give space to the players. Because everyone has had a different life and grown up differently, everyone has a different personality. A good leader should always be able to know what makes his players perform their best," added the right hander.