The 25-year-old who grew up in the border area of Punjab close to Pakistan will also be helming a new-look India.
Throw in the fact he wasn’t even first choice, with fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah admitting this week he first turned down the job because he thought he would only be fit enough to play three of the five Tests against England, and the odds look stacked against Gill.
Gill was not India’s first choice as captain (Photo: Getty)Back then, McCullum was effusive in his praise of Gill, who had not yet made his Test debut, saying: “Even though he is young, I am a big believer it’s not necessarily true just playing for a long time makes you a good leader. It’s about exhibiting the behaviours of a leader. To us, Shubman is one of those guys.”
It’s evident Gill’s formative experiences under McCullum have shaped his outlook on leadership.
Another clue that Gill might be a chip off the Bazball block came during an interview with Sky Sports this week when asked what his goal as captain was.
It’s not quite the Bazball mantra of McCullum and England captain Ben Stokes that enjoyment and fun, rather than results, should be the main focus of players. But it’s pretty close.
This all sounds promising for the series, with the prospect of two teams led by aggressive captains in Gill and Stokes going toe to toe over five Tests.
He has, though, led Gujarat Titans for the past two IPL seasons and Jos Buttler, who played under him, admitted this week: “He’s pretty calm and measured when he speaks, but on the field, I feel like he’s got a bit of fight about him; a bit of intensity, quite passionate. I think he’ll be a mix of Kohli and Rohit.
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The pressure of leading India is akin to that of the England football manager. So separating the unique demands of captaincy from his batting will be key.
Having only ever batted as an opener or at No 3 in his 32 Tests so far, his likely move to No 4 for this series – a position held by Indian icons Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli in the past – will be another challenge for Gill.
It’s why England will be keen to target him from the very start. Yet if McCullum, Morgan and Buttler are right, he might be tougher to crack than most neutral observers think.
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