"It's not going to quite sink in" - Shubman Gill reacts after being appointed GT captain ahead of IPL 2024
Young opener Shubman Gill will captain the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The announcement came following former skipper Hardik Pandya's departure.
Reacting to his appointment, Gill stated that it won't completely sink in till the Gujarat-based team play their first match of the IPL 2024. The opening batter also stated that leading an IPL team is a dream come true for every kid who aspires to be a cricketer.
In a video shared by the Titans on their social media handles, Gill said:
"It's going to take probably till the time we don't play the first match. It's not going to quite sink in. It's a great feeling. I was about 7 or 8 years old when IPL started. Obviously, it's a dream for any kid who wants to be a cricketer and who wants to play in the IPL to be able to captain a team. To be able to be that kind of a binding factor in this team, it feels amazing."
Shubman Gill further mentioned that commitment, loyalty, discipline, and hard work are the traits that he believes a leader must have. He believes that his experience playing under successful captains will benefit him in his stint.
"We all know captainship comes with a lot of things, and commitment is one of them, discipline is one of them, hard work is one of them, and loyalty is one of them," he continued. "I have played under great leaders and I have learnt a lot from them. I think those learnings that I have had from their experience, and playing under them will help me a lot in this IPL."
Gujarat were forced to hand the captaincy reins to someone else after Hardik Pandya was traded to his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) in an all-cash deal. Under Hardik, the Titans became champions in 2022 and finished runner-up in 2023.
While the likes of Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan were expected to be the frontrunners for the leadership position, the team management backed Gill to be at the helm of the side.
"There will be a lot of learnings along the way" - Shubman Gill on his new role
In the video, Shubman Gill also pointed out that the presence of seasoned campaigners like Kane Williamson, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, David Miller, and Wriddhiman Saha will be a huge advantage.
Seeking the blessings of fans ahead of his new journey, he said:
"We have great leaders in our team, be it Kane, or be it Rashid bhai, or be it Shami bhai, or even David and Wriddhi bhai, so it's going to be great. Obviously, there will be a lot of learnings along the way, which is what experience is, and which will be my experience as a captain. I see a lot of people making great memories. For this shub shuruat (auspicious start), I will need your blessings and support."
Shubman Gill was in excellent form in this year's IPL, notching up three centuries and four fifties. He finished as the Orange Cap winner, chalking up 890 runs from 17 outings at an average of 59.33.