Is Shubman Gill earmarked as future all-format captain of the Indian cricket team?

NEW DELHI: The new era of Indian cricket management under head coach Gautam Gambhir appears to be focusing on Shubman Gill as the prospective captain for all formats. Ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka, Gambhir's inaugural assignment as coach, Gill has been elevated to the vice-captaincy position for both the ODI and T20I teams.

Reports indicate that the management is planning for Gill to act as deputy to Rohit Sharma in the forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh in September.

According to RevSportz, sources within the BCCI have confirmed that Gill is set to replace Jasprit Bumrah as the new vice-captain for the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh. The first Test is scheduled for September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, and the second Test will follow on September 27 at Green Park in Nagpur.

This decision suggests that Gill will also be Rohit's deputy in the home Test series against New Zealand in October and during the significant Border-Gavaskar series in Australia in December.

BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar recently explained the reasoning behind Gill's elevation to the vice-captaincy role in white-ball cricket during a media interaction ahead of the team's departure for the Sri Lanka series.

"With the T20 World Cup around, when Hardik Pandya got injured, it was a challenge. Rohit wasn't playing, but he was available to lead, which was fortunate. We don't want to face that situation again. Shubman is a three-format player who has shown quality over the last year or so," Agarkar stated.

Agarkar emphasized the necessity for continuity and leadership development within the team.

"You try and have somebody who can also learn from a couple of the senior guys that are there, like Surya or Rohit. We don't want to face the same challenges of suddenly trying to look for a captain in case of injuries or loss of form. Shubman has shown decent leadership qualities, and we want to give him the experience he needs to step forward. There are no guarantees in life, but that's the thought at this point," he added.

The white-ball series against Sri Lanka, which starts on Saturday, will serve as a crucial test for both the new team management and Shubman Gill in his expanded leadership role.