Shubman Gill could have been forgiven for putting his feet up after a taxing English summer that saw him pile up 754 runs in just five Tests. Instead, the newly appointed Indian Test captain has opted to dive straight back into domestic cricket, taking charge of North Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy. It is a decision that has drawn glowing praise from Sunil Gavaskar, who called it a “massive shot in the arm” for the tournament.
Shubman Gill leads in Duleep Trophy
Being available for the Duleep Trophy was a statement for Gill, sending the right signals as far as prioritising domestic cricket is concerned. At 25, Gill has already shouldered the responsibility of leading India in a marquee series against England, filling the leadership void left by the retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin from Test cricket.
“Shubman Gill, captaining the North Zone team, is a massive shot in the arm for this tournament. By being available, the Indian skipper is sending the right signal to the other members of the team. It would have been understandable if, after a gruelling tour where five Test matches were crammed into a little over six weeks, he had opted to rest,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
However, Gill’s stint in the tournament might be short-lived. With the Asia Cup starting September 3 in Dubai, the BCCI is expected to have him join the Indian squad before the knockouts. That means North Zone may need a mid-tournament captaincy change if Gill departs as planned.
Duleep Trophy 2025 will be Shubman’s preparation ground for the upcoming home series against West Indies and South Africa.
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