Captaincy fits well for Gill as future looks bright for India’s top-order

A host of India batters performed with aplomb against Zimbabwe and duly put their hand up to replace a pair of star players.
Shubman Gill believes the next generation of India T20I batters will be able to fill the void of recently retired star duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Rohit and Kohli announced their international retirement from T20I cricket shortly after India's successful ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign at the end of last month and it hasn't taken long for their most likely successors to put their hand up as potential replacements.

Gill - who narrowly missed out on selection for the T20 World Cup - was among India's better performers during their 4-1 series triumph over Zimbabwe that finished in Harare on Sunday, with the right-hander amassing a series-best 170 runs at an average of 42.50 as he performed admirably in the role as opener and captain.

t was the first time Gill has captained India at senior level and the 24-year-old admitted he enjoyed the experience as the search for Rohit's replacement as skipper continues ahead of India's white-ball series in Sri Lanka at the end of this month and three matches at home against Bangladesh later in the year.

"It is something that I definitely enjoy," Gill said of the captaincy.

"I think it brings out the best in me when I am out there because I look to be involved in the game. It is something that really brings out the side of me which I enjoy being on the field.

"There was pressure, I wouldn't say extra pressure but obviously even when you are playing just as a batter when you don't perform there is a certain kind of pressure that comes along with it.

"But I think that's the fun part of it. You kind of feel so many different emotions. Pressure is one of them. And when you get out of that, the satisfaction that you feel is immense."

Gill said he learnt plenty from playing under Rohit in recent times, but also picked up leadership qualities from a host of other India players as he seeks to become a permanent fixture in all three formats for his country.

"You can take qualities from Rohit bhai or even Mahi (MS Dhoni) bhai, Virat bhai, Hardik (Pandya) bhai, all of them," Gill noted.

"All of them have great qualities. I have played the most under Rohit bhai, so he is someone who I look up to and really enjoy playing under."

Gill wasn't the only India batter to perform well against Zimbabwe, with fellow young gun Yashasvi Jaiswal (141 runs) and the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad (133) and Abhishek Sharma (124) all managing scores in excess of 50 during the series.

It bodes well for India's future in the shortest format and Gill thinks competition for selection among the next crop of top-order batters will prove a massive boost for reigning the T20 World Cup champions.

"It's a good thing that everyone's performing," Gill said.

"It shows that everyone is hungry and nobody is ready to take it easy. For any country or board, that's always a good thing.

"Anyone who got the opportunity grabbed it with both hands. The openers to bowlers to allrounders to spinners, everyone made a mark and I think the selectors have now seen everything and it's up to them to name the squad for the next series (in Sri Lanka)."