Shubman Gill, the Indian opening batsman, has been appointed as the new skipper of the Gujarat Titans (GT) after Hardik Pandya’s departure. Hardik Pandya was traded to the Mumbai Indians (MI) in an all cash deal. Shubman Gill doesn’t have any significant prior experience of leading the side which can backfire for the franchise.
It is really an exciting opportunity for Shubman Gill- Kane Williamson
In the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024), Kane Williamson, the experienced New Zealand batsman, will remain part of the Gujarat Titans. Regarding the change in captaincy, Williamson had glowing words of praise for Shubman Gill. In an interview with PTI, Kane Williamson expressed his thoughts, saying,
“It is really an exciting opportunity for Shubman, a world-class player and a great thinker of the game as well. As a team, we are focusing what’s in front of us in the roles that we have, and it is a fantastic support staff,”
Gujarat Titans had a remarkable start to their IPL journey, winning the championship in their debut season in 2022. They continued their strong performance by finishing as runners-up in 2023. It will be interesting to see how they perform in the upcoming season under the leadership of Shubman Gill.
Shubman Gill has been in outstanding form with the bat for Gujarat Titans, emerging as their top run-getter with 1373 runs from 33 matches. In IPL 2023, Gill was exceptional, winning the Orange Cap by scoring 890 runs in 17 innings at an average of 59.33. He also scored three centuries and four fifties in that season.
Can he follow in those footsteps or can he create his own?- Tom Moody on Shubman Gill
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody believes that Shubman Gill faces a challenging task ahead as the captain of an IPL team, suggesting that it won’t be an easy feat. Tom Moody highlighted the challenge for Shubman Gill in succeeding someone like Hardik Pandya, who excelled as captain during his two-year tenure with the team. Moody shared these thoughts in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. He said,
“For Shubman Gill, it is the unknown. He may have captained at a lower level but this is a different story, the IPL. And following a very successful two years for Gujarat Titans, he is stepping up to the plate after Hardik Pandya had such an impact as a leader, can he follow in those footsteps or can he create his own?,”
Gujarat Titans will kick off their IPL 2024 campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 24.
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