January 18 in the Indian cricketing circles would be remembered for delays and more delays. The Indian squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy, to be held in Pakistan and the UAE, was scheduled to be announced at 12.30 PM IST. But it got postponed by approximately 3 hours. Ultimately, when the squad was announced, there were very few surprises. One of them was perhaps the dropping of pace bowler Mohammed Siraj. There was something else that caught the eye – Shubman Gill’s appointment as the vice-captain of the set-up.
On expected lines, there were plenty of question marks over his appointment. Gill’s poor form during the Test series in Australia might have played a role in that. But is it fair to mix formats and bring up Test cricket when Gill has been appointed as Rohit Sharma’s deputy for the 50-over format? Let’s take a deep dive to dissect whether Gill deserves the leadership role. Or maybe someone else was the right choice.
For starters, Gill averages a whopping 58.2 in ODI cricket. The 50-over version of the game is probably Gill’s best format. The white Kookaburra ball doesn’t move a great deal and the tracks are mostly batting-friendly. Unlike the shortest format of the game, the batter can take his time and get his eye in. Although Gill has a wide range of shots, he does take a few overs before shifting gears.
The crux of the point here is that Gill is a guaranteed starter in the 50-over format. The counterargument to it could be Yashasvi Jaiswal also has the required credentials to open the batting, but it is difficult to imagine dropping a batter who averages close to 60 in ODIs.
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Alongside Gill’s impressive record in 50-over cricket, he is only 25, so the Indian selectors could be looking towards the future. Even during the Test series in Australia, Gill was seen playing an active role in trying to discuss plans with the bowlers. It is also simply a case of continuity as Gill was Rohit’s deputy during the ODIs in Sri Lanka last year.
There is one more question that still needs to be answered. Was there a better candidate than Gill for the aforementioned position? Hardik Pandya’s name immediately flashes in the mind. Hardik has already led the country in 19 limited-overs games which include T20Is and ODIs. However, for some reason or the other, the current management isn’t in favour of Hardik taking a leadership role. In T20Is, too, Suryakumar Yadav has taken over the mantle of captaining the side, while Axar Patel is now his deputy.
By the looks of it, there were some deliberations over whether Gill or Hardik would take over the vice-captaincy role for the Champions Trophy. Eventually, the Indian think tank settled for Gill
Also Read: Rohit Sharma on Team Bonding, BCCI Policies, and Gambhir Equation
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