Shubman Gill is all set to lead the India A team in the opening match of the Duleep Trophy 2024 starting on September 5. The star Indian cricketer is looking to improve his form in red-ball cricket after some inconsistent form in Test cricket lately.
Gill's India A will take on Abhimanyu Easwaran's India B in the four-day First-Class meeting at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Gill, India's designated vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is, remains an integral part of India's red-ball team but recently lost his opening spot to Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The 24-year-old top-order batter scored two centuries against England in the last bilateral Test series but those were only two three-figure scores in his last ten Test matches. He acknowledged his struggles in red-ball cricket ahead of the Duleep Trophy tournament and added that he would match his expectations before India's busy Test schedule.
“In Test cricket, my performance has not matched my expectations so far," Gill said in the press conference on Wednesday. "But we are going to play 10 Test matches this season, and when I look back after those 10 Tests, hopefully, my expectations will be matched."
The BCCI is clearly grooming Gill for the future captaincy role as he led India in the recent Zimbabwe tour and was named vice-captain in both ODIs and T20Is against Sri Lanka last month. He talked about recent changes to his role but also added that will not change his role as a batter.
“Every match or tournament that you play, you look to learn more about yourself irrespective of whether you are captain or not the captain," Gill added further. "More so because of the captain, you will get to know about other players too. It’s important for the captain to have a connect with the players.
“You should know their strength and weaknesses. Yeah, there are some changes in me especially when you are captain or vice-captain and having those conversations. Not really extra pressure. My role as a batsman does not really change, even if I am the captain or vice-captain. It’s all about scoring runs for the team.”
