NEWS
Follow UsAfter completing a 4-1 T20I series victory over Zimbabwe, Shubman Gill said he thoroughly enjoyed leading a young unit and said captaincy brings the best out of him. The right-handed opener emerged as the leading run-scorer in the series, hitting 170 runs across five innings at an average of 42.50 and a strike rate of 125.92.
"It is something that I definitely enjoy. 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,” said Gill after India defeated Zimbabwe by 42 runs in the fifth and final T20I in Harare on July 14 (Sunday).
India were without most of their senior players and Gill and Co. started the series with a 13-run defeat. India, however, bounced back and won the last four games with ease. In the first T20I, India failed to chase down a target of 116, losing too many wickets at the start.
"I think that is the mistake we did in the first T20, the score wasn't that big but I think we didn't assess the conditions as early and we lost too many wickets in the powerplay and then once you are under pressure, then you are always behind in the game," said Gill.
“There was pressure, I wouldn't say extra pressure but obviously even when you are playing just as a batsman 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."
Talking about leading a young team, Gill said: “To be able to lead such phenomenal talented players who I have had the pleasure to play with or against at some stage in age-group cricket or Under-19 or at the India level, it just feels very amazing.
"When you have played against or with so many of the players... I think almost with everyone I have played against or with at some age-group level, it definitely makes my job easier because I understand them at a player level and I understand them as a person as well.
"So many talented players, so many players coming up and it is really fun to be able to play alongside them when I am at the non-striker's end.”
India had selected four openers for the series but Gill was the only one who opened in all five games. He obviously scored more runs than Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal but the latter three scored runs at a much better pace. Both Abhishek (174.64) and Jaiswal (165.88) operated at a strike rate of more than 160, while Gaikwad went at 158.33.
"It's a good thing that everyone's performing. 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. The wickets were a little challenging for the first 5-6 overs and the ball always did something in the powerplay, so we tried to lose a few wickets upfront and then capitalise later.
"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 (3T20Is, 3 ODIs in Sri Lanka)."
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