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"England A Challenge" Pujara On Whether Captaincy Will Affect Shubman Gill's Batting

Akshita Patel

Pujara shares his take on Shubman Gill's captaincy challenges [Source: @cheteshwar1, @ShubmanGill/X.com]Pujara shares his take on Shubman Gill's captaincy challenges [Source: @cheteshwar1, @ShubmanGill/X.com]

Shubman Gill, one of India’s most talented young batters, is all set to take on a new challenge. He will be leading the Indian Test team in the 5-match series against England starting on June 20 at Headingley. 

At just 25 years old, Gill has already played 32 Tests and scored 1,893 runs with five centuries. But now, he will have the added responsibility of captaincy. This brings up an important question, will the extra pressure affect his batting?

Cheteshwar Pujara Opens Up On Challenges For Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill has signed up for a big challenge as he will lead the Indian Test team against England. With seniors like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma missing, Gill will have little help to deal with pressure.

However, despite the pressure and responsibilities that come with captaincy, Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara feels the young batter is mentally equipped to take on the challenge. 

Talking to Quint at the Sony Sports event, Pujara said while leading a team requires a different level of focus, Gill has the right mindset to handle it.

"I don’t think captaincy will affect Shubman Gill. I’d say it will definitely motivate him. But at the same time, it's a different role altogether when you're leading a team and when you're batting. It requires a different kind of concentration. Your batting doesn’t really change whether you’re a leader or not. But yes, he will be very motivated to perform well in overseas conditions," Pujara said.

Gill doesn’t have the best Test record in England so far. In three Tests, he has scored just 88 runs, with an average of 14.66. But Pujara is confident the young captain will bounce back. 

Pujara Counting On Gambhir’s Support To Gill

As Shubman Gill steps into the high-pressure role of leading India in the upcoming Test series against England, Cheteshwar Pujara believes that Gill’s success won’t just depend on his own form but also on how well the support system around him functions.

Pujara said that the coaching staff, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, will play a key role in ensuring Gill feels supported and not overwhelmed.

"The role of the Indian support staff will be crucial. With a young leader, the people around him — the coaches, analysts, the support system — they need to give him consistent feedback, the right data, venue-specific inputs. The entire support system becomes very important when you have a young captain," Pujara added.

According to Pujara, a captain needs to make sharp decisions, often under pressure. But when the support team provides helpful insights, it can ease the load on the captain.