Rahul Dravid Consulted by BCCI on Leadership Role for Shubman Gill

The Board of Control for Cricket consulted the former coach of the Indian cricket team for feedback on Shubman Gill. Reportedly, Rahul Dravid was asked his opinion on Shubman Gill’s leadership qualities.

The BCCI appointed Shubman Gill as the new Test team captain on Saturday. He will take charge of the team starting with the five-match test series against England.

Dravid-Gill Connection

Rahul Dravid and Shubman Gill first connected in 2017, when Dravid was the coach of India’s U-19 team. Gill was a young player then, but by the U-19 World Cup in 2018, Gill had become India’s top run-getter. A few years later, in 2021, the two met again in the senior Indian team.

A year later, Dravid asked Shubman Gill where he wanted to bat. He asked for the No. 3 spot, although he had always opened for the team. Despite modest early stats, Dravid saw leadership potential in Gill. Later in the 2024 England series, Gill repaid his faith by scoring a critical century in the second test.

The 25-year-old batter was under pressure to keep his place. He scored two more fifties and a century in Dharamsala, helping Indian win the series 4-1. He also became more involved in team strategies, leading Dravid to see leadership qualities in him.

Dravid’s Feedback Factors in Gill’s Selection as Captain

The selectors, while deciding on the new leadership, sought Dravid’s opinion.

“The selectors spoke to Dravid as he had seen Gill when he was a teenager and had also coached him at the U19 and the senior team. He had some great things to say about Gill’s potential as a leader,” a BCCI source said.

“You don’t pick captains for one or two tours. You want to try and invest in something that’s going to help us going forward. We were hoping that it’s the right call. We’ve seen some progress over the course of the last year with him,” he said.

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