'Reflects great maturity and bodes well for India’s future' - India legend praises Shubman Gill

Published - 11 Oct 2025, 21:52 IST | Updated - 11 Oct 2025, 22:18 IST

Former Indian captain Anil Kumble has come out in full praise of Shubman Gill with the manner in which the latter has conducted with his performances in red-ball cricket of late. Gill has been in fine nick with the bat as well as on the field ever since he has been appointed as the full-time Test captain.

Kumble commended Gill's batting which has only improved in the red-ball format ever since he has been handed over the leadership mantle. The veteran leg-spinner also praised Gill's outing with the bat on Day 2 of the second Test against West Indies in Delhi.

“Captaining India is never easy. It’s not just about on-field decisions but also handling several responsibilities off it, and Shubman has done exceptionally well. On the field, he’s been outstanding, and as a batter, he’s shown great composure since taking over the captaincy. Today was no different. He read the situation perfectly, attacked the spinners when needed, and maintained the scoring rate," Kumble said via JioHotstar.

For a young captain, scoring runs is vital. Usually, experienced players inherit captaincy after years of establishing themselves, but for Shubman, to step up early and perform this well reflects great maturity and bodes well for India’s future," he added.

Ex-West Indies batter Daren Ganga echoed Kumble's sentiments on Gill's independent role as batter and captain. Ganga concluded by sharing that as per him, Gill will be there to lead Indian cricket for years to come.

“It defines him as a player — his quality, temperament, and ability to make his starts count. His conversion rate this year has been impressive. He’s handled that added responsibility remarkably well, separating his role as a batter from his role as captain. He hasn’t let one interfere with the other and is reaping the rewards. All credit to him. Shubman Gill is leading well, batting with confidence, and looks set to be at the helm of Indian cricket for a long time,” he said.

India drew their first series against Gill's captaincy to England in what was a historic performance for Gill and the team. He ended up breaking several records to rack up 754 runs across five matches and emerge as the leading run-getter. Carrying the form into the home series against the West Indies, the 26-year-old registered an unbeaten 129-run knock off 196 balls during his team's first innings of the New Delhi Test.