Gujarat Titans (GT) chief operating officer Arvinder Singh recently opened up on the franchise’s decision to appoint Shubman Gill as their new captain ahead of the last Indian Premier League (IPL) season as well. He added that while the opening batter didn’t have much captaincy experience, they gave him a chance to hone his leadership skills as well. He also stated that there were similar discussions when GT made Hardik Pandya their first captain ahead of their maiden season in the league in 2022 as well.
Singh said during an interview with News 18 Cricket Next: “Let me take you back to 2022 when Hardik was announced as the captain. At that time, there were similar discussions—he had never captained before, people questioned his fitness, and there were many doubts. But we believed he was the right man for the job, and he proved it. The same goes for Shubman. He is an upcoming young player who has already showcased his cricketing credentials. Leadership skills are not learned in a classroom but on the field. He has a strong support system around him, which helped him last year and will continue to do so.”
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“The beauty of Shubman is that he listens. He is not rigid in his approach—he is open to learning and improving. That is the essence of GT—the collective will of the team. It’s not about one player. If Shubman gets out, the team doesn’t panic. Someone else steps up. We’ve seen that in the past. Players who were once written off have delivered championships or near-championships for GT. That is because of the environment we create—a space where players are encouraged to focus on playing their best cricket while we handle the rest,” he again shared.
Arvinder Singh added that leading an IPL team is a great opportunity for Shubman Gill to become a pro in captaincy. He also added that despite the team’s poor show last season, the team management is confident in his leadership abilities as well.
“From hiseperspective, it’s a wonderful platform where he has a significant number of matches, players, and different conditions to deal with. He plays in seven different places apart from his home state. So, for him, it’s a huge opportunity. His credentials are evident in what he has shown so far, even last year. We may not have had a great season, but the glimpses of his leadership that we saw convinced us to continue backing him as a captain,” he stated.
“We are confident that the experience he gained last year, along with his current role as vice-captain of the Indian team in the 50-over format, will benefit him. He is in good form, as you can see, and hopefully, he will continue that momentum through the Champions Trophy, which is equally important. He is becoming a key player, not just for GT but also for Team India,” Arvinder Singh concluded.
