Gary Kirsten witnessed Shubman Gill’s captaincy up close during his time with the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League. The former South African opener served as the Titans’ batting coach and mentor during Shubman’s inaugural season as captain in the lucrative league in 2024.
Shubman was named captain of the Indian Test team after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the longest format in May. The Punjab batsman is struggling in his debut as India’s Test captain, as the Asian powers trail 1-2 in the five-match series against England, with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at stake.
Kirsten recently revealed his thoughts on Shubman Gill’s captaincy, stating that he has made a strong first impression and has all the potential to be a great India captain.
Kirsten also advised him to become a great man manager, like MS Dhoni.
“Okay, it’s early days. I believe he has immense potential. Captaincy entails a wide range of responsibilities. He’s an excellent thinker in the game. He is a talented player in his own right. But there are a lot of things you need to get right. And I believe that man management will play a role, just like any other leader. Dhoni was an excellent man-manager. “If he can fire up that aspect of his leadership, I believe he has all the credentials to be a great captain for India,” Kirsten remarked in an interview with Rediff.com.
The Cape Town-born had a great working relationship with Dhoni when he was the coach of the Indian team, and the wicketkeeper-batter was the captain. Their camaraderie was instrumental in helping the Men in Blue lift the ODI World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
Coming to Shubman, he has been in sensational form with the bat in England. In six innings, he has amassed 607 runs at an average of 101.17. The 25-year-old will look to inspire his team to make a strong comeback against Ben Stokes and Co.
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