"He may have captained at a lower level but this is a different story" - Tom Moody warns Shubman Gill ahead of his captaincy stint in IPL 2024
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody warned Shubman Gill of the potential challenging task of captaining at the IPL level for the first time ahead of the 2024 season.
With Hardik Pandya being traded to the Mumbai Indians (MI) during the off-season, Gujarat Titans (GT) have appointed Gill as the captain for IPL 2024. The 24-year-old has been in incredible white-ball form with the bat over the past two years but has only a handful of captaincy experience, that too at the domestic level.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Moody pondered whether Gill can create an impact similar to that of Hardik Pandya for GT.
"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?" said Moody.
Gill was the Orange Cap winner last season, scoring 890 runs in 17 games at an average of almost 60 and a strike rate of 157.80.
The 24-year-old has been integral to GT's incredible run over the last two seasons under Hardik Pandya, where they clinched the title in 2022 and finished runner-up last year.
"Disconnect between the team, management, and owners" - Tom Moody on Pat Cummins' challenge as SRH captain
Tom Moody feels Pat Cummins has his hands full as captain of SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), considering the occasional disconnect between the franchise's key personnel.
SRH acquired Cummins' services at the 2024 IPL auction for a whopping ₹20.50 crore and appointed him captain, replacing Aiden Markram.
"Historically there has been a disconnect between the team, management, and owners. Whether Pat Cummins comes and just clears the ground to allow the team to its absolute capacity remains to be seen," said Moody.
However, Moody backed Cummins to unlock the full potential of the star Indian players and bring a calming influence to the team.
"The SunRisers' Indian contingent aren't box office names but they are very good cricketers. The likes of Tripathi, and Mayank Agarwal at the top of the order are international quality players. If they are given the freedom and the ability to play without the pressure of consequences and if Pat Cummins can create that sort of calm that he has shown as a leader in the Australian setup and if he can transfer that into the SunRisers camp, those players and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Natarajan, these type of players will thrive under that leadership," added Moody.
Cummins has tasted remarkable success as Australian captain, winning the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup in 2023.
His stint as SRH skipper will begin when the side take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL 2024 season opener at Eden Gardens on March 23.