‘You’ll be criticised for captaincy as well’: Gavaskar’s candid verdict on Shubman Gill | Cricket News
Shubman Gill‘s remarkable purple patch continued on Wednesday as the India captain produced another batting masterclass, prompting high praise from Sunil Gavaskar after India’s emphatic ODI series-clinching victory over Afghanistan in Lucknow.Gill has enjoyed a stunning run of form over the past three weeks, piling up runs across formats and competitions. The 26-year-old began the sequence with a commanding century for Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 before registering his 11th Test hundred in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. He then followed an unbeaten 85 in the rain-affected ODI in Dharamsala with a magnificent 154 in Lucknow as India secured a dominant win.The latest innings came in challenging conditions and helped set up India’s massive total of 402. Gill shared a match-defining 224-run stand with Ishan Kishan, who blasted 125, as the pair completely took the game away from Afghanistan.Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Cricket Live’ show, Gavaskar said Gill’s success with the bat was also having a positive impact on his captaincy.“When you’re not getting runs, you’re not confident about making those marginal moves that come from your gut feel, like holding back a bowler who has bowled well, giving him an extra over, or moving a fielder from a certain position. That gut feel is a lot stronger when you’re personally performing. But if you’re not performing, even when you get a gut feel, you’re apprehensive about making that call because you’re worried about getting it wrong. Since you’re also not performing as a player, you’ll be criticised for your captaincy as well,” Gavaskar said.While Gill and Kishan stole the spotlight with the bat, India’s young fast bowlers also played a key role in completing the victory. Afghanistan were dismissed for 232, with rookie pacers Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav combining for five wickets.Gavaskar was particularly impressed by Brar’s performance, praising both his bowling rhythm and ability to trouble batters with steep bounce.“His run-up is so good, his rhythm is so good, he was hitting the deck and getting the ball to climb. The wicket he got of Gurbaz was particularly impressive because of the way that bouncer followed him. It’s very accurate. It comes right at you, exactly where the batter does not want it. I think the selection committee deserves all the compliments. If you look at his stats, or his India A performances, they’re okay, but not to the extent where you would say he deserved an India cap. However, the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, saw something in him, and that’s why they picked him. He’s also been backed by the management, which is so important,” added the former India captain.India’s all-round display secured a 170-run victory and gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, with Gill’s outstanding form continuing to be one of the biggest positives for the team.
