Former Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar recently weighed in on the evolving leadership scenario in Indian cricket, emphasising that the IPL serves as an ideal platform for budding leaders to hone their captaincy skills on the field. With Shubman Gill being touted as the next Indian Test captain for the upcoming England tour in June, Gavaskar cautioned that Gill still lacks crucial international leadership experience and needs more time to mature into a confident leader at the highest level.
Gavaskar noted that, following the retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India could face some leadership challenges in the red-ball format. He suggested that Gill would require at least a year or two of solid experience before becoming a fully-fledged Test captain.
This advice wasn’t limited to Gill alone; Sunil Gavaskar extended similar counsel to fellow young prospects Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, who are also in the running for future captaincy roles.
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“All of our great captains brought a unique approach to leading their teams,” Sunil Gavaskar remarked on Star Sports, stressing that these emerging leaders need time to develop their own styles. Currently, all three—Gill, Pant, and Iyer—are captaining their respective IPL franchises and showcasing leadership potential throughout IPL 2025. Gill leads the Gujarat Titans, Pant heads the Lucknow Super Giants, and Iyer captains the Punjab Kings.
Gavaskar believes the intense pressure and fast-paced nature of T20 cricket in the IPL is an invaluable testing ground for these young skippers. He urged them to continue performing well, as leading a successful IPL side builds the experience and respect necessary for the national captaincy.
Echoing this sentiment, former India batsman Suresh Raina highlighted the significance of winning an IPL title as a captain before taking on the responsibility of leading the Indian team.
“Shubman Gill is the frontrunner, but he is still chasing his first IPL trophy as captain,” Suresh Raina pointed out. “If he wants to succeed as a Test skipper, winning the IPL will earn him the respect and authority in the dressing room despite having fewer Test matches under his belt.”
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Raina also added that leadership goes beyond skills—it involves energy, character, and commanding body language on the field, qualities he sees in Gill and Hardik Pandya. He even mentioned Rajat Patidar as a potential future captain, though he stressed Patidar still needs to prove himself in leadership roles on bigger stages before being considered seriously.
In short, the leadership baton in Indian cricket is passing to a younger generation, but both experience and IPL success are critical stepping stones on that journey.
