At the Harare Sports Club on Sunday, July 14, after Men in Blue defeated hosts Zimbabwe 4-1 in the series, India skipper Shubman Gill showed off his inner MS Dhoni by giving the trophy to four young debutants.
India had a stunning loss at the start of the series, but they made a great recovery. With late-inning cameos from Shivam Dube (26 off 12) and Sanju Samson (58) among other contributors, India managed a challenging 167/6 in the last match. Zimbabwe lost the chase early on, and even though Tadiwanashe Marumani (27), Dion Myers (34), and Faraz Akram (27), made modest contributions, they were bowled out for 125, giving India a 42-run lead.
But Gill’s post-match gesture—handing the trophy to newcomers Riyan Parag, Tushar Deshpande, Dhruv Jurel, and Abhishek Sharma—grabbed the headlines. Along with commemorating their T20I debuts, Gill also upheld a custom that former leaders Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma carried on from the great Dhoni.
Starting off a new era with a trophy 🏆 🤩#SonySportsNetwork #ZIMvIND #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/B7yrmh0ky5
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 14, 2024
Having assumed leadership of the Gujarat Titans in the 2024 Indian Premier League, the opener, who is only 24 years old, has already demonstrated potential as a leader. Even though his IPL season did not go as expected, everyone was impressed with his debut as an international captain.
Also Read: Even with his immense talent, Sanju Samson occasionally irritates you because he lacks maturity: Abhinav Mukund
Gill’s performance both on and off the pitch positions him as a long-term leadership option as Indian cricket looks to the future. Since veteran players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja have departed, Gill will play a crucial role in helping India adjust to T20I cricket.
The Indian squad is now preparing for their upcoming test, which is a three-ODI and three T20I series against Sri Lanka in July and August. KL Rahul is predicted to take the ODI captaincy, while Hardik Pandya is slated to lead in T20Is. The BCCI is due to release the squads shortly, and there is much conjecture on the leadership positions.
Home