Former head coach Ravi Shastri says

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri thinks the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should persist with Shubman Gill as India’s Test coach for the next three years.

Gill deserves a long rope as captain

The 26-year-old was appointed skipper last month after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket. Everyone, including Gill, knew that his first task wouldn’t be easy. Facing England away from home for a 5-match series is one of the toughest tasks.

India hasn’t won a series in England since 2007, and three stalwarts, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, have left the team in the last 6 months. This is why Shastri thinks BCCI should invest in Gill for the next couple of years. Because sooner rather than later, he’ll come good as India’s Test captain.

“He’s matured a lot. The way he handles the media, the way he talks at press conferences and tosses, he’s matured a lot. Let him be there for three years. Don’t chop and change, irrespective of what happens in the series. Stick with him for three years and I think he will deliver for you,” Shastri told Wisden.

Needs exposure as a batter

The former head coach went on to describe what makes Gill so special. Of course, batting comes before captaincy. If he can’t justify his spot as a batter, there is no use in making a case for captaincy. And Shastri thinks Gill just needs a little backing for him to show his class as a batter.

“I’ll be disappointed if Gill doesn’t go places. Languid, lazy elegance, and he’s got a regal element of being regal out there when he’s batting. If he can learn with exposure and adapt to conditions, I think that’s the one name I can see,” Shastri added.