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"They Have Nothing To Lose": Sanjay Bangar Backs Gill To Lead India Without Pressure

Poulomi Chakraborty

Sanjay Manjrekar Shares His View On Shubman Gill (Source: PTI)Sanjay Manjrekar Shares His View On Shubman Gill (Source: PTI)

The dawn of a new chapter for Indian Test cricket is here as the ‘Gill era’ kicks off. Taking the reins as Team India’s 37th Test skipper, Shubman Gill is leading Team India in the first Test match against England at Headingley.

As Team India is finding success in the longest format on English soil, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes Shubman Gill will lead with confidence, and the pressure won’t weigh him down.

No Pressure For Shubman Gill

After Rohit Sharma’s exit from the longest format, Shubman Gill officially took the reins as Team India’s Test skipper. After a series of setbacks on English soil in the Test format, Gill’s Team India is on their quest to glory. Not having some big names in the team, the job became a bit challenging for the new skipper.

As per NDTV Sports, speaking to ESPNcricinfo, former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar offered a fresh perspective. He believes appointing Shubman Gill as Test captain is a smart move by the selectors, as it allows the young skipper to lead with freedom and without the weight of pressure.

“The advantage that Shubman Gill has is that they have nothing to lose. The big names have gone, Jasprit Bumrah is not the captain, it's almost like he had to do the job. So he's not going to feel the pressure. Because the selectors have made such a big call, they'll back him and be supportive,” Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar Believes Gill-Gambhir Duo Will Conquer

After Dravid resigned, Gautam Gambhir became India’s head coach, and Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as Team India’s T20I skipper. The coach-captain duo gifted some amazing series wins. Now, with Shubman Gill leading the Test side, Sanjay Manjrekar feels Gambhir will enjoy working with the young star and expects an even stronger chemistry between the two.

“Gautam Gambhir, as coach, will enjoy a young captain with him. You can see him as coach when he's with Suryakumar Yadav as India captain versus him with Rohit Sharma. There is going to be a better relationship between the captain and the coach,” he said.

In 2007, Team India registered their last Test series win on English soil. With Shubman Gill at the helm and a fearless bunch of young guns by his side, the nation is hoping to witness a historic triumph on English soil after 18 long years.