Follow UsAfter making the final in the first two seasons, Gujarat Titans (GT) finished a disappointing eighth last season with Shubman Gill at the helm. However, despite a poor show in the campaign, GT have decided to stick with Gill as captain for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, as they hope to go all the way once again.
GT COO Arvinder Singh has believes Gill, who scored 426 runs at 38.72 in IPL 2024, showed glimpses of good leadership last season, which warrants him another season as captain.
“The expectations from him are not only from us but from the entire cricketing world. There are a lot of expectations from him as a player. GT has given him the opportunity to hone his leadership skills, starting last year. He continues to lead the team and will be the captain again this season," said Singh said in a chat with News18 CricketNext on February 15 (Saturday).
“From his perspective, it’s a wonderful platform where he has a significant number of matches, players, and different conditions to deal with. He plays in seven different places apart from his home state.
"So, for him, it’s a huge opportunity. His credentials are evident in what he has shown so far, even last year. We may not have had a great season, but the glimpses of his leadership that we saw convinced us to continue backing him as a captain."
Singh believes the experience he gained last year, combined with the experience he gained as India's ODI vice-captain, will certainly benefit the franchise.
“We are confident that the experience he gained last year, along with his current role as vice-captain of the Indian team in the 50-over format, will benefit him. He is in good form, as you can see, and hopefully, he will continue that momentum through the Champions Trophy, which is equally important. He is becoming a key player, not just for GT but also for Team India," he said.
Singh has compared Gill's appointment to when Hardik Pandya was appointed skipper of GT, when many questions were raised about his leadership qualities. Hardik responded by winning the IPL in his very first season in charge.
“Let me take you back to 2022 when Hardik was announced as the captain. At that time, there were similar discussions—he had never captained before, people questioned his fitness, and there were many doubts. But we believed he was the right man for the job, and he proved it," Singh said.
“The same goes for Shubman. He is an upcoming young player who has already showcased his cricketing credentials. Leadership skills are not learned in a classroom but on the field. He has a strong support system around him, which helped him last year and will continue to do so."
